Diwali Booklist

If you want to find out more about Diwali and the customs and traditions that surround the festival, this is a great book to explore with children in the early years.  It is a simple counting book, counting the lamps that light Diwali and with each additional lamp, a message is shared.

 The book is filled with bright illustrations and vibrant patterns that are a feast for the eyes. Each double spread shows a family, dressed in beautiful traditional Hindu dress for the festival of Diwali, explaining the meanings behind the festival of light.

Where there are words that might be unusual or unknown to some children, such as mithai, these are explained in a glossary at the back of the book along with more detailed information about the festival.

Children who are not Hindu but are of another religion or none can draw parallels with their own festivals and family traditions and so explore the links and synergies behind the messages of many religious or cultural festivals.

This is a good book for teaching the vocabulary around Diwali, as each double page focuses on a word – showing its pronunciation and meaning. It is written around a count-up and countdown and so is also good for teaching numbers and rhyme. The culture and traditions of Diwali presented include  food, family traditions, decorations or community celebrations. On the very last page there is a useful summary of what Diwali is about and the origins of it. This is a really good book for younger children as the illustrations put across the colour and celebrations of the festival well.