Diwali

Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami

This title is part of the publisher's "Celebrations in My World" series, of which other titles include Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, and Ramadan. The text is simple, and the large print format suggests a younger readership than most such readers. The opening pages answer the question, "What is Diwali?" Succeeding pages address a little background on Hinduism, the mythic story of the hero prince Rama, other Diwali stories, household decorations, dancing, Diwali as a harvest festival, clothing, the holiday as it is celebrated in expat and diasporic communities, the special affinity children have for this holiday, symbols of Diwali, prayer, and the custom of giving gifts. The clear text with its contextual explanations of unfamiliar concepts, is enhanced by full color contemporary photographs that place the observance of Diwali squarely in today's world. A couple of small errors mar the whole. In the spread titled "Diwali Dancing" the picture is of a Bharatanatyam dancer performing a classical dance with southern roots, while the text describes garba, a folk dance originating in Gujarat. Mehndi, or henna designs painted on hands, is misspelled "mendhi." A glossay and index are included on the final page. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami