A kindergarten-level introduction to Diwali, covering the holiday’s history, popular traditions, and such defining symbols as clay lamps and rangoli designs.
Part of the Seedlings series
Young children are introduced to popular holidays celebrated in the United States and around the world in this beautiful series. Each book examines the history of a holiday as well as its traditions, symbols, and place on the calendar. Children learn about the origins of Halloween, the story behind the clay lanterns lit during Diwali, and reason gifts are given on Christmas. Each page features stunning photos of celebrations that will capture readers’ attention and make them want to learn more. The text is simple and friendly, working in tandem with the images. At the end of each book is a pictorial guide of the holiday’s symbols such as Day of the Dead’s sugar skulls and skeletons. This is followed by a glossary, resources, and an index. –VERDICT This series perfectly captures the magic of each holiday and demonstrates how they are each unique and special. -VERDICT Recommended for school and public libraries.
–School Library Journal , 04/01/2021
The Seedling Holidays series offers a kindergarten-level introduction to many of the world’s most popular cultural celebrations. In each volume, eight double-page spreads set two or three simple sentences atop beautiful full-bleed photography. Chinese New Year focuses on the Spring Festival as celebrated in China, specifically. Day of the Dead showcases the breathtaking pageantry of the Mexican holiday. Kwanzaa features a number of the celebration’s traditional objects and beliefs. Ramadan places a religious focus on the Muslim festivities. Because of the age of the intended audience, each holiday is boiled down to short lists of facts and traditions partaken in on certain dates by certain groups of people. The necessarily brief text means that the illustrations bear a larger educational burden, and while they are striking—as is the series’ overall design—they offer a narrow, decidedly non-diverse view of each holiday, how it’s celebrated, and who celebrates it, with participants depicted almost exclusively in traditional garb or among antiquated architecture, with each holiday including representation of only one race. Thus these make appealing options for establishing a baseline awareness, but further context may be required for a slightly more nuanced understanding that prevents stereotyping. Back matter includes a short picture dictionary, a glossary of bolded terms, and further-reading resources.
–Ronny Khuri, Booklist, 05/01/2021