Holi Colors

by Rina Singh

Experience Holi with every color of the rainbow! This Hindu celebration known as the festival of colors and the festival of love signifies the end of winter, the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. A time to laugh, play, visit friends and get messy! Little ones will love exploring the colors of Holi through the vibrant photographs and Singh's playful rhymes in this brilliant concept book.

By the author of Diwali (Orca Origins), which has been called "an exceptionally valuable resource" by Kirkus Reviews and "a standout volume" by School Library Journal.

Genres: Picture Books, India, Holiday, Asia, Childrens, Cultural, Art

24 pages, Board Book

First published February 13, 2018

About the author

RINA SINGH was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 1980. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University. Before moving from Montreal to Toronto, she taught creative writing to gifted children. She has since written several critically acclaimed books for children. Her book A Forest of Stories has been translated into several languages, her poems and short stories have appeared in several Canadian literary journals, and she has exhibited photography in many Toronto galleries. Rina Singh teaches art and drama in Toronto, where she lives with her restaurateur husband and their two children.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This library book has been on deck for weeks as I waited for the actual day to arrive. I have to say, given that buildup, I'm pretty disappointed. This book is simple--perhaps too simple--and is rather lazy when it comes to its aesthetic. In other words, I really don't like books that are illustrated using stock photos.

The text is presented in rhyming verse, which is at times clunky. It's basically just reciting the colours and illustrating them with chosen photos. Unfortunately, in some of the photos, the colour in question is kind of hard to see, so the reader must rely on the colour of the little flower that serves as the text background.

I'm not a fan of the pictures, either. Some are not pleasant to look at (like the kid on the green page, who has powder caked in her teeth), and some just had me questioning why they were used. On the page for red, the text reads:

Hush, baby,
hush.
Please don't
cry.

Mama got
RED from the
sunset sky.

This is accompanied by a picture of a child with no discernible red powder on him. But he is crying. The text should probably read:

Hush, baby,
hush.
I made you
cry.

Mama got
powder in your
poor little eye.

While the book looks diverse (since there are a number of little blond kids shown covered in coloured powder), I question how authentic this really is. I don't know anyone who celebrates this holiday (this area's Indian culture tends more toward the Sikh tradition than Hindu), let alone any white people who celebrate it! This is the problem with just going and finding stock photos. I would've much preferred it if someone had gone to some actual Holi celebrations specifically to take photos to be used in this book. (I realize there are Holi celebrations all over the world now, but that starts to call into question cultural appropriation. For this book, I would've rather seen the celebration depicted as it was traditionally celebrated, by the people who originally celebrated it.)

The reason I pick up books like this in the first place is so that I can learn something. Unfortunately, I learned more about Holi from its Wikipedia page than I did from reading this. Readers won't learn much from the rhyming text, and the author's note is very basic.

Overall, this is a very underwhelming book. For a celebration so visually stunning, I was hoping for more than just some stock photos of little kids with coloured powder all over them.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun. The girls loved the colors and learning about the holiday. Maddie liked practicing her colours. The photography is great and everything is so vibrant and fun.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A burst of color of a book that celebrates the Indian festival of Holi.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This board book is illustrated with photographs awash in color. The images vibrantly show Holi both with close-ups of people’s faces covered in colors and in images where the air itself is filled with color. The text is gently rhyming and invites even the youngest readers into the joy of Holi and a delight in the saturated colors on the page. Joyous and bright, this board book is just right for every library.

[MelissaD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the Holi Festival, a Hindu celebration. The beautiful, real images in the book portray the colorful festival and the happiness that comes from it. The celebration is the signal that winter is over and the warmth of summer is about to begin. This is a great book to help students understand other religions and holidays different than their own.

[Katalina Townsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experience Holi with every color of the rainbow! This Hindu celebration known as the festival of colors and the festival of love signifies the end of winter, the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. A time to laugh, play, visit friends and get messy!

[Grace Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great non-fiction book to represent a cultural holiday. I like how the book takes you through the meanings of each color and connects them to objects in the world around us. Each one is something that any child would recognize and have background knowledge about. I like the use of real pictures to show the celebration and people's faces.

[Urbandale Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful board book introduces children to the festival of Holi with vibrant pictures and colors. A perfect book for all!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holi Colors by Rina Singh. BOARD BOOK. Orca, 2018. $9.95. 9781459818491

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Learn about colors in this vibrant board book that pays tribute to the Hindu celebration of Holi.

The photographs are rich and stunning visual images on their own, drawing the eye immediately to the page. The subjects (except one crying) radiate happiness, joy and celebration. The rhyming is catchy and will make the book easy to read again and again, and the paragraph on the last page explaining the celebration of Holi is a perfectly written introduction to the holiday.

Jessica, Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a fun book to discuss colors in a different way than what I usually see in books for this age. With the addition of discussing Holi, this book becomes a resource not just for colors but also a way to promote diversity and have an early conversation about the festival. I also like that the book is full of colorful photographs throughout and an informational portion in the back.

For: readers looking for a color book; readers wanting a book on Holi or wanting a diverse text to discuss colors.

Red flags: some readers may not want this since a conversation could follow.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful color concept book that also introduces young ones to the Holi festival, a celebration of colors that occurs in the springtime in India. The kids and I loved this one - it's poetic, has brightly colored photographs of people (including children) covered in color powder and let us catch a glimpse of a different cultural experience.
Kids voted to give this 5 stars.
It's also a very quick read, perfect for toddlers and up.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learn about color and culture of Hindu celebration, Holi, the welcoming of Spring.
The icons of each color tie together with one mother's love to her child perfectly.

Learn about the Gulal (colored powders) and the meaning of the celebration, the Festival of Colors.

A pallet of wonderfully photographs capture each color's meaning as well as the heart of the text.

Great introductory read for color-lovers and cultural exploration!

[Leo M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We got this from the library and it became one of my favorite books (around 7-8 months old). I love the photographs! I spent a lot of time trying to put my mouth on the girl on the cover.

---

(And my mom likes that they exposed me, a white boy in Texas, to a bunch of faces of babies on the other side of the world -- plus the colors are lovely, and the rhymes, although sometimes imperfect, are still RHYMES, which the kiddo is just fascinated with at this age.)

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this probably a week or so ago now, but read it quickly during work and then forgot to review it. It was really pretty and I liked how it explained Holi and what the colors represent, and it was also really simple. I also like that a variety of people were used in the pictures.
A good introduction I think. Great for really young kids.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the board book format and the lovely photos. Not crazy about the rhyming text. Cool to have kids of many races taking part in an Indian holiday, rather than the ol' 'this is how THEY CELEBRATE OVER THERE'. Nice how it doubles as a holiday book and a colors book.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not familiar with this holiday in India - the Festival of Colors. Broken down into the simplest of information with children covered in color this would work for toddlers. Like the authors note a the end for parents who are also not familiar with Holi.

[Mary Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photographic images relating colors in nature to the sharing of colors with children during Holi, the Festival of colors usually celebrated over two days in March. The words are closely patterned in the same structure and Hush Little Baby.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The color-throwing celebration is venturing out of strictly Indian culture and is becoming familiar with many different communities. This vibrant book introduces colors to the youngest Holi participants.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“People in India welcome the arrival of spring by tossing colored powders known as gulal on friends, family and strangers.”

Holi is the Festival of Colors in India. This book with its gorgeous illustrations shows the joy of celebrating this festival.

Beautiful.

[Megan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very small picture book about the holiday Holi. Shows very vibrant photos. They are very beautiful and colorful. There is very little words but it is a cute poem. There is a nice description about Holi at the end of the book.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute board book about Holi.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, rhyming, colorful board book celebrating a beautiful Hindu tradition.

[Amanda Geske · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Peacock brought the dreamiest BLUE - he said he saved it just for you.”

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small children enjoying being splashed with Holi pigments. Star rating based on pure adorability.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A colors board book with photographs of people celebrating Holi. I wanted to have a better understanding of Holi itself, but there's a short explanation at the end.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Themes: Holi, colors, festivals

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful pictures

[Faith Tydings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Cecilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photography to boot!