It's Diwali! by Kabir Sehgal

It's Diwali! Reviews

• 
  Michelle Boyer

  Diwali is the Indian festival of lights – and this is a festival that many Americans are completely unaware of; this book serves to teach children with Indian heritage about Diwali but doubles as an introduction to this festival for outsiders. Each page contains a traditional item found at the festival with a small blurb at the bottom explaining the term to outsiders. The items are first listed in Hindi though, which is a great use of language for Hindi-speakers.
  
  I’m ashamed to say, I was not entirely sure what Diwali was when I picked up this book. While reading, I said “oh, I’ve seen this on tv” but was still ashamed I did not know the actual name of this festival! Hence, this book could also be very useful to those in their thirties. The bright colors used throughout the book were very impressive and would keep the attention of a younger reader. The illustrations are very accurate without falling into being ‘stereotypical’ of the culture/people being depicted.
• 
  Kathryn

  
  It's Diwali! by the Seghals (a mother-son team) is a simple, but enjoyable, picture book about the holiday. A counting book, it features only a few words per page of the story proper, but a little note is included at the bottom of each page that includes a pronunciation guide and explanation of what is being counted on that spread. ("One, two... mehndi for you." "Three, four... rangoli on the floor.") It can be read to the tune of "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" and is just darling for wee ones while also providing enough information that older readers who are unfamiliar with Diwali will learn a thing or two. I've really enjoyed several of the other books by this team and am glad this did not disappoint. There are several YouTube videos of this read aloud, too.
• 
  Aliyah Orobio

  Indian Culture, Hinduism, Picture-Book
  
  "It's Diwali!" is a book written to the tune of the nursery rhyme "One Two Buckle My Shoe." It explores the aspects of Diwali and even provides definitions of what each term means such as mehndi and rangolis. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and bring the magic of Diwali to life.
  
  This book serves as an accurate and authentic representation of Hinduism and Indian culture. The illustrator and authors are Indian themselves and celebrate Diwali so we know that their knowledge and depictions of the festival are being shared as a first hand experience. This is important because when cultural traditions are being written about from someone who either does not celebrate this tradition or is not a part of the culture, portrayals of it can be faulty or stereotypical if thorough research beforehand has not been conducted.
  
• 
  Thompson McLeod

  It's Diwali! is a wonderful explosion of color, celebration and culture that begs to be read aloud to the tune of "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe." Kids and adults will learn about the celebration of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
  
  From painting on mehndi (henna designs that symbolize luck and happiness to traditional foods like jalebis, a dessert treat, Diwali is a fun event. Every page pops with color and life. Open this picture book and step into India. The art is that vibrant! Kudos to illustrator Archana Sreenivasan.
  
  It's Diwali! is a must have for any collection of picture books and likely to be heavily awarded.
• 
  Kristin

  Meant to be red along to the tune of “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” this book is rhythmic and vibrant and so much fun. I really love how each page has an ornate box on the bottom providing pronunciation keys and more information about the tradition or food portrayed on the page. Children who celebrate Diwali will love seeing familiar holiday traditions and children who don’t are certain to learn a lot about it. The pictures are truly beautiful, so full of color and this book would be a powerful learning tool in any home or learning space!
• 
  Andrew

  It is time for....Diwali...or Deepavali or The Festival of Lights!
  Sing along and count down (to the tune of 'One, Two, Buckle My shoe') the sights, sounds and treats of Diwali.
  From Mehndi Henna to colorful Rangoli art, tasty Jalebis to vibrant fireworks, join a family and their friends as they celebrate!
  
  A very cute, simplistic but well-explained picture book intro to Diwali, by #OwnVoices duo (Mother-Son) Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Segal, and vibrantly colored illustrations by Archana Sreenivasan;
  
  Personally, I think everybody should celebrate this! It sounds like so much fun!
• 
  Alicia

  A rhyming story of the celebration of the festival of lights called Diwali. The picture books uses the most vivid colors and a rhyme to explain the food, the sights, the sounds, the family, and more with just enough to get an idea of what Diwali is without giving too much away (though I would have liked just a little more!)
  
  It's captivating illustrations and color choices hold weight with the story as it's the festival of lights (and color).
• 
  Stephanie

  A counting rhyming book about the Indian Festival of Diwali. "Diwali is the Indian Festival of Lights, aslo called Deepavali. The festival symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, happiness over dispair and light over darkness." per the author's note. I liked how the book told the meaning and the pronunciation of the Indian/Hindi words I was unfamiliar with including Diwali, Mehndi, Rangoli, Diyas, Jalebis, Ladoos, and Mala.
• 
  Ellon

  5 stars (It was amazing)
  
  I loved this picture book. It's simple yet informative. It counts up and back down to the tune of "Buckle my shoe" while incorporating the customs of Diwali. I will definitely be purchasing for my school library!
• 
  Chuck Ledger

  Nice book. Very nice illustrations.
• 
  Michele Knott

  Perfect for young readers, introducing vocabulary and celebrating Diwali!
• 
  Sarah Threlkeld

  Fun and informative counting book about Diwali that’d be great for preschool.
• 
  Elizabeth

  Count 1-10 then 10-1, rhyming with some Diwali fun
• 
  Beth

  A simple, colorful, and joyful book about the Indian festival of lights, Diwali.
• 
  Alayna Eve

  Cute and educational book about the Indian festival of lights that you count up and back again to 10.
• 
  Anthony

  A book in rhyme and numbers as the Indian festival of lights known as Diwali is celebrated with tradition and customs explained to the reader.
• 
  Clare D

  A great book to teach about the festival and counting!
• 
  Tea

  Good book for kindergarten and grade 1. Nice and simple to count and learn some things about Diwali. Is a good and little way to bring culture into the classroom.