Books that celebrate Diwali
Diwali, or the festival of lights, is celebrated all around the world each October - and there are lots of ways to join in the fun! Here's our pick of the best children's books about Diwali.
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The Best Diwali Ever
Author: Sonali Shah Illustrator: Chaaya Prabhat
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 3-6
Ariana is super excited for Diwali – she’s looking forward to yummy sweets, playing with her cousins, and wearing a lovely outfit – and staying up late to watch fireworks, of course! A gorgeous and relatable book.
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Binny's Diwali
Author: Thrity Umrigar Illustrator: Nidhi Chanani
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 4-8
It's Diwali and Binny is so excited! She has a snazzy new outfit to wear and lots of beautiful streamers and sweet treats to share with her classmates. A charming picture book celebrating the joy of Diwali, just one of the thousands of religious festivals around the world.
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Little Glow
Author: Katie Sahota Illustrator: Harry Woodgate
Publisher: Owlet Press
Interest age: 3-5
This glimmering, gorgeous book is a gentle story that showcases the amazing celebrations of light across different communities, including Lunar New Year, Diwali, Hanukkah and Ramadan.
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Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief
Author: Dr Janina Ramirez Illustrator: Sarah Walsh
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9+Goddesses, spirits, saints and other female figures in world religions, faiths and practices are a fascinating and empowering subject to learn about. In Dr Ramirez’s brilliant book, 9-12 year-olds will be fascinated to learn about 50 key figures from around the world.
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Let’s Celebrate! Festival poems from around the world
Author: Various Editor: Debjani Chatterjee & Brian D’Arcy Illustrator: by Shirin Adl
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Everyone loves a celebration and with this lively, multicultural, poetry anthology there is an excuse to celebrate almost all year round
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Anisha, Accidental Detective: Show Stoppers
Author: Serena Patel Illustrator: Emma McCann
Publisher: Usborne
Interest age: 7-11
Reading age: 8+When disaster threatens to ruin the school musical, Anisha is on high alert for things that are ‘not quite right’. Her detective brain will have the mystery solved in no time… with just a few wrong turns along the way. Another entertaining addition to the Accidental Detective series.
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Stories for South Asian Super Girls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women
Author: Raj Kaur Khaira Illustrator: Anu Chouhan Deepikah R Bhardwaj Kokila Bhattacharya Meenal Patel Nazrina Rodjan Poonam Saini Raj Kaur Sandeep Johal Suman Kaur and Vinny Soor
Publisher: Kashi House
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 6+This beautifully illustrated collection of 50 biographies showcases a huge range of historical and modern-day South Asian women's stories and achievements.
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Gita: The Battle of the Worlds
Author: Sonal Sachdev Patel and Jemma Wayne-Kattan Illustrator: Soumitra Ranade
Publisher: Harper Collins
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9-12A captivating story, based around the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which explores the inner battle raging within Dev when his father dies. Gita is a great text for discussing difficult emotions but also an adventurous romp, full of cartoon-like artwork.
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Food and Faith
Author: Susan Reuben Illustrator: Sophie Pelham
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 7+An excellent resource for religious education
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Tales from India
Author: Bali Rai
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 7-10
Reading age: 8+Discover India’s rich folk-tale heritage and ancient cultures, with this captivating collection of both popular and lesser known, mostly secular Indian folk tales – reworked for a modern audience.
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Excuse me, is this India?
Author: Anushka Ravishankar Illustrator: Anita Leutwiler
Publisher: Tara Books
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 7+A reissue of a delightful story told in nonsense rhyme, complemented by evocative illustrations of patchwork and embroidery using Indian materials.
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India, Incredible India
Author: Jasbinder Bilan Illustrator: Nina Chakrabarti
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 7-11
Reading age: 8+A vibrantly colourful celebration of India, its people, history and wildlife. A beautiful and fascinating book to dip into and pore over.
