Festival stories- through the year

This is a wonderful introduction to religious festivals of India for children of all ages – including adults. My husband is from India, and while I know of some of the festivals, (Pongol and Divali) I learned so much more in this book. I’m a retired teacher, and I wish I had had this book in my 6th grade classroom as supplemental reading when we studied India.Though informative, the writing isn't pedantic, because the author has used an engaging story frame: Eleven-year-old twins, Natasha and her brother Nikhil, are staying with their paternal grandparents, Dadu and Dadi, in Bangaluru (the local name for Bangalore). Their parents are still in the U. S., winding down jobs and arranging for transfers in a year, while sending the twins ahead, feeling it’s time for them to learn more about their culture first hand. Homesick but intrigued, Natasha begins a journal and Nikhil starts a blog.Their first festival is Lohri, a Punjabi folk festival and one of the few Indian festivals falling on the same date every year (January 13 on the Gregorian calendar). The book ends with Christmas and a big surprise for the twins. In between are 30 more festivals the author has lovingly researched and described through the eyes of Natasha and Nikhil. They learn about the customs, clothing, and food associated with each festival as they participate. The sweets and snacks served had my mouth watering each time.Each chapter begins with a little anecdote, often humorous, followed by one of Natasha’s journal entries or Nikhil blog’s posts. Their new world unfolds for the reader as they make friends with other kids, study for exams, play Indian games, go shopping, or stuff themselves with delicious snacks at each festival. The majority of the population practices Hinduism, but Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism also have their devotees, and the twins get invited to these festivals and learn traditional stories associated with each.Chhabria has researched her subject well. She includes the many names for some of the festivals and the gods and goddesses who figure in them. She makes references to the Gregorian calendar months to keep a reader from the west grounded in the time frame when these festivals occur. Many holidays are shared alike (with different names) by Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus. Some are regional, and the twins attend them because they or their grandparents have made friends with characters from these regions who practice these faiths.The author paints unforgettable characters with deft brushstrokes that don’t belabor descriptions but capture personality. Natasha and Nikhil are endearing eleven-year-olds, and Dadu and Dadi are the grandfather and grandmother everyone would want. The scenes are set so vividly, a reader is plunged into the colors and tastes and excitement of India. This was a lovely book, and I was really sorry to reach the end.

Natasha and Nikhil have always stayed in the US until one year when their parents decide to bring them to India for a year to stay with their grandparents. While they live in India, they get to celebrate a myriad of festivals and learn everything about them. Not only do they celebrate all the festivals, they also blog and journal them throughout the year. While doing so they also learn some very important values like community living, kindness, empathy, friendship and cooking to name a few.Their learning and celebration of festivals starts right from Lohri, Pongal and Makar Sankranti in January and ends with Christmas in December. While they celebrate each festival along with their grandparents, neighbours, friends and family, they also learn about the importance of the festivals. Though the book is essentially about festivals, the author has also incorporated themes like sharing, bullying, traditional practices followed during festivities and the logic behind them.It is a great book to introduce festivals to the kids through the experiences of Natasha and Nikhil. The book is written in a way that children can easily relate to it in the current scenario. The language is simple and very captivating. There are in all thirty-two festivals enumerated in the book through fun stories about how they are celebrated, the food that is cooked and the rituals followed. After every celebration, Natasha and Nikhil would pen down their experience and learning in a blog\journal. The idea of children maintaining a written account of important days is a very intelligent idea that the author has incorporated. The children can definitely take inspiration from this and start their own journals\blogs.The book opens many topics for conversation, related to festivals and otherwise as well. It will not just help children understand and appreciate the contrast between different religious and cultural aspects but also learn the joy of living together as a community and being there for each other in times of need.Though the book is suitable for middle-graders to read on their own, the lucidity of the language renders it suitable for 7-year-olds to be read aloud. The book is one-stop fun guide to all the festivals celebrated in India and I highly recommend introducing the children to this insightful book.

Kids loved it and are more knowledgeable about Indian festivals. The version of Holi in the book is different to what's followed in my family, but then this is actually true for a lot of Indian festivals. Great that this also has festivals like Guru Nanak, Mahaveer Jayanti etc.

You may find small word mistakes but it's not at all trouble as I said few mistakes so you can buy these book without second thought the characters are amazing even thought the book is about festivals it also gives us glimpse of humanity and pure heart actually I bought this book for me bcs i had to study about festivals for my graduation project

My 10 year old son enjoyed this book throughly. The excessive commercialization of every festival has ensured that most of us dont know about many festivals and it ends up as a 'holiday' from school/work. This keep does a great job of storytelling about festivals. Highly recommended for all kids especially 8 to 12 yrs old