Celebrate Diwali: With Sweets, Lights, and Fireworks

by Deborah Heiligman

Beautiful, dynamic photographs and brief, lively text introduce readers to the joyous holiday of Diwali, evoking the celebrations of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. In Deborah Heiligman's inviting global odyssey of the Hindu holiday we learn that Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and of light over darkness. Although celebrated differently in different places, Diwali is universally viewed as a time of great joy, celebrated with fireworks, sweets, and gifts. Celebrate Diwali brings to life the holiday's traditions, food, and celebration rituals. The informative back matter includes Diwali recipes, a glossary, a Diwali card game, a map, and a resource list of books and Web sites. Also included is a note to parents and teachers from the book's consultant, Dr. Vasudha Narayanan. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Genres: Holiday, Nonfiction, Picture Books, India

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2006

About the author

Deborah Heiligman has been writing for children since she worked at Scholastic News soon after college. Since then she has written more than thirty books for children and teens. Her books include picture books, both fiction and nonfiction, and young adult nonfiction and fiction. Some titles: Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith, a National Book Award finalist; The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos, a Cook Prize Winner and Orbis Pictus honor; Intentions, a Sydney Taylor Award winner, and a picture book series about Tinka the dog. Her latest book is Vincent and Theo: The van Gogh Brothers. For more information please visit www.DeborahHeiligman.com

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Presents differences between North and South Indian, Jain and Sikh observances much better than other general children's books available. Use of National Geographic photography adds to quality and accessibility. Though I doubt the young man carrying two loads of flower garlands is taking them home to decorate (talk about candy-coating child labor ... and don't get me started on the man making fireworks fuses). Awesome documentary photos, regardless. The provision of a recipe and crafts is especially helpful for multicultural classrooms. Preschool and elementary teachers could use this as a reference without any concern for accuracy or potentially misrepresenting a holiday celebrated by multiple religious and ethnic communities.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a favorite of my daughter's and I wish we'd brought it with us when we moved. I have been very impressed with all of the books from this series. They provide clear, interesting ways to introduce religious festivals to children. They are also very helpful for the parents or other adult readers who might not know the religious festivals of other traditions but want to explain them to their children.

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

These children's books are great for teaching about world religions. I like the information. I like the photos and the recipes. Makes explaining things in a class nice and easy when one can do it with pictures.

[Chak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, informative book from National Geographic written in the first person with simple language, with at least one photo per page. The end notes include facts about Diwali, a recipe, glossary, card game instructions, other books and websites of interest, satellite images and a one page article about Diwali for more advanced readers. Hardcover, library-covered weight: 408 grams.

[Carrie Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the pictures. This book tells you about its culture and the different holidays they celebrate and how they are celebrated, there are also crafts and recipes in the back of the book that I enjoyed reading as well. Good Book

[Mathieu Fortin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beaucoup d'images et une explication plus complexe que l'autre bouquin, mais super intéressant.

[Rani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diwali the festival of lights introduced to readers with summary provided by Dr. Vasudha Narayanan.

[Erica Pakluck]

I thought this book was well written and showed the different ways Diwali is celebrated in different parts of India, and even in the US. The photography added to the fun of the book and created the excitement that you would feel if you were there celebrating. I loved that it showed the designs made with rice flour, and the food offering made to the god Krishna. It is a cheery, bright book, full of color and fun.