Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Diwali: With Sweets, Lights, and Fireworks

Heiligman, Deborah

3.81

26 ratings by Goodreads

9780792259237: Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Diwali: With Sweets, Lights, and Fireworks

ISBN 10: 0792259238 ISBN 13: 9780792259237

Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books, 2006

Beautiful, dynamic photographs and brief, lively text introduce readers to the joyous holiday of Diwali, evoking the celebrations of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world.

In Deborah Heiligman's inviting global odyssey of the Hindu holiday we learn that Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and of light over darkness. Although celebrated differently in different places, Diwali is universally viewed as a time of great joy, celebrated with fireworks, sweets, and gifts.

Celebrate Diwali brings to life the holiday's traditions, food, and celebration rituals. The informative back matter includes Diwali recipes, a glossary, a Diwali card game, a map, and a resource list of books and Web sites. Also included is a note to parents and teachers from the book's consultant, Dr. Vasudha Narayanan.

National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

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About the Author:

Deborah Heiligman is the award-winning author of 15 children's books. She specializes in simplifying complex subjects for young people, particularly in the areas of science and social studies. She lives in New York City.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1–3—These titles balance historical perspective with contemporary cultural significance in describing the holidays. Diwali focuses on the Hindu celebration in India but mentions observance by the Sikh and Jain faiths and also shows customs in four other countries. All texts capture well the spirit of the holidays, conveying in Ramadan, for example, the holy purpose of fasting and the shared joy in feasting. While the first-person plural texts create a mostly inclusive tone, they present Native Americans as "other" by using the third person to explain that Thanksgiving is a day of mourning for some Indians whereas others hold ceremonies of thanks. Each spread features up to three high-quality color photographs, a paragraph of body text, and a line of much larger text that creates a focal point and supports contextual understanding. Many cultures are represented through photos and captions, including five continents in Ramadan. Each book includes a map showing where the photos were taken, along with extras such as games, recipes, a prayer, or historical time lines, and ends with a page of additional cultural and historical information for adults. These visually appealing volumes would update any multicultural or holiday collection. Consider Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith's Celebrating Ramadan (Holiday House, 2001) and Laurie Halse Anderson's Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving (S & S, 2002) as companions.—Julie R. Ranelli, Kent Island Branch Library, Stevensville, MD
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