My Diwali: Lights of Virtue

by Priya Kumari, Komal Garg, Abhilasha Khatri (Illustrator)

'My Diwali' invites you to the home of little Leela and her elder brother, Aadi. They celebrate joyfully the five days of Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights—lights of virtue. Aadi is never afraid of speaking up against anything wrong and Leela is a thoughtful little girl. Aadi gets a criminal arrested, so Maa and Papa appreciate him by talking about stories behind the five days of Diwali and victory of good over evil. While enjoying the festival, the kids discover that the Divine lives within their hearts in the form of virtue. They learn how Diwali brings the lights of personal success, social justice, and ecological peace during the darkest days of the year. The authors invite you to light a lamp spreading the lights of virtue this Diwali.

44 pages, Hardcover

Published September 27, 2022

Reviews

[Mary]

It is time for Diwali, the annual celebration of light and virtue in Hindu culture. To prepare, one family cleans their home, participates in shopping together, and reminds one another of the lessons taught by the divine beings who came before. With each passing day, more festivities arrive, ultimately culminating in a tradition that prepares the family for joy and prosperity in the year to come. This descriptive picture book invites readers to join one family in their journey through the celebrations surrounding the Diwali holiday. The narrative within the book is dense, and because it attempts to describe a great deal of information within a limited number of pages, the story can be difficult to follow. However, for readers with some background knowledge about Diwali, the reasons behind some of the scenes are more understandable. Lengthy back matter provides resources to enhance the level of comprehension for caregivers and educators regardless of their individual backgrounds, which assists when sharing this book with children. Cartoon-like illustrations showcase the protagonists participating in the activities described by the text, helping to support comprehension in young readers, as well. Though this book is not as clear as others of its type, it can serve as a useful starting point from which readers can better understand the Diwali holiday before seeking additional resources. This is an informative story for elementary school-aged readers with an interest in global celebrations.

[Danielle Stratton]

I was gifted the book My Diwali: Lights of Virtue by Priya Kumari and Komal Garg, and illustrated by Abhilsha Khatri (Eternal Tree Books) to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2023.

This book follows Leela and Aadi, who are preparing to celebrate Diwali. As they go through the five days of Diwali, stories are shared of history and rituals behind the celebrations. There is an importance of knowing one’s culture and showing how it is being preserved from one generation to the next, and it shows how children are curious and have hunger for this history and the “why” behind the traditions.

This book is vibrantly illustrated as readers are immersed in Leela and Aadi’s celebration of Diwali, and their curiosity spurs conversations of the history behind celebrations. Little details bring the reader an understanding of what virtue is and the importance of Diwali, with each illustration pairing perfectly with the text to bring the story to life. At the back of the text, there is a note for parents and teachers giving background on the history of Diwali, and there is a glossary and pronunciation guide. My elementary students loved reading this book together and they wanted to learn more! #ReadYourWorld

[Bailey Young]

have read other books about the festivals below, but this series is incredibly informative, explanatory, fun, and written with a compassionate tone! The first three books My Holi Colors Of Cheer, My Diwali Lights Of Virtue, and My Ganesha Chaturthi Words Of Wisdom, showcase two adorable children as they celebrate and ask important questions to learn more about the holidays. I love that the stories showcase  modern day celebrations, the history/religious meaning behind rituals, and the variations of celebrating the social day.

[Shubham Shekhar Singh]

DIWALI feels !!

Just such a lovely take on Diwali. The illustrations and story is wonderful to shRe with kids during the festive season.