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Books by Theme » Holidays » Meaningful Diwali Books for Kids

Meaningful Diwali Books for Kids

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Oct 7, 2022 ·  Modified: Oct 7, 2022 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

Diwali books for kids will help make your festive celebration extra special! These stories about India’s biggest and brightest holiday will teach young readers all about the joyful, five-day festival of lights. Check them out!

Nine covers of beautiful Diwali books for kids.
Table of Contents:
  1. Diwali Books for Kids Celebrate the Festival of Lights!
  2. Diwali lasts for five days, with each having a different meaning
  3. Frequently asked questions
  4. Our Favorite Diwali Books for Kids

Diwali Books for Kids Celebrate the Festival of Lights!

Diwali is India’s biggest, most important holiday of the year, as well as one of the most popular Hindu festivals.

The name Diwali, frequently referred to as Deepavali, is derived from the lighted row of clay lamps (also called diyas) Indians light outside of their homes. Translated literally, deep means light, and avali means row. Deepavali is thus referred to as the festival of lights (just like Hanukkah is for those of the Jewish faith!)

No matter where you live or how you interpret the Diwali story, a common theme is the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Diwali books for kids beautifully showcase these themes, as well as the traditions, customs, and celebrations occurring throughout the holiday.

Diwali lasts for five days, with each having a different meaning

Diwali is celebrated for five-full days, with each day having special significance. On the first day of Diwali, people typically clean their homes. The first day also includes a custom of purchasing something precious to help bring in good fortune.

On day two, people light their clay lamps and create rangoli on the floor – exquisite colored art made from sand or powder. The third day of Diwali is the main day of the festival. Families gather to pray to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, who is believed to enter homes and bless families with good fortune. Day four is deemed the first day of the new year, and day five is a day when brothers visit their sisters for a lavish meal and ceremony.

We hope the children’s books about Diwali featured below add to your joyful Diwali celebration or teach your family something new about the festival of lights!

RELATED: Did you know that there are more than100 children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants? Be sure to check them out!

Frequently asked questions

What is Diwali in simple terms?

Diwali, also referred to as the Festival of Lights, is a five-day holiday celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across the world. It is a festival celebrating new beginnings, marking the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.

How many days is Diwali?

Diwali is five days! Each day of the Diwali celebration has special significance, beginning with the cleaning of the home on day one and ending with brothers visiting their sisters for a lavish meal and ceremony on day five.

What are the traditions of Diwali?

There are many traditions of Diwali, including cleaning the house, making sweets and distributing them to family, shopping, lighting up the home, making beautiful rangoli, and bursting firecrackers to celebrate good over evil and light over darkness.

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Our Favorite Diwali Books for Kids

The cover of Diwali, a beautiful board book about Diwali for kids.
Diwali
By Hannah Eliot and Archana Sreenivasan

In this joyous board book from the “Celebrate the World” collection, young readers bring their brightest lanterns as they gather together for the festival of lights. Readers learn that the five-day Diwali holiday celebrates the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. This book also describes the importance of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, during the Diwali celebrations. 

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The cover of Baby's First Diwali, a beautiful board book about Diwali for kids.
Baby’s First Diwali
By DK

With bright illustrations, simple text, and real photographs, the youngest readers learn about important aspects of Diwali, from the diya lamps that helped give rise to the holiday’s name, to the sweet treats and the traditional rangoli decorations. A perfect primer for your youngest bookworms!

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The cover of Binny's Diwali, a beloved Diwali book for kids.
Binny’s Diwali
By Thrity Umrigar and Nidhi Chanani

Binny can’t wait to tell her class all about Diwali, but she is so anxious! Once she catches her breath, however, she tells her classmates about it all, from the clay lamps, or diyas, to the fireworks streaking the sky with colors. We love the way this story provides significant detail but allows children to feel like they are a part of the joyous celebration. This is one of our favorite Diwali books for kids!

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The cover of ShubhDiwali, a sweet Diwali book for kids.
Shubh Diwali!
By Chitra Soundar and Charlene Chua

Diwali is here, which means it is time to celebrate the new year! This is a lovely introduction to the festival of lights, from cleaning the house to welcoming the gods with mango leaves, to creating rangoli art in an effort to bring sparkle to every room. We love the simple rhyming text and bright illustrations! 

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The cover of My Diwali Light, a lovely new Diwali book for kids.
My Diwali Light
By Raakhee Mirchandani and Supriya Kelkar

We absolutely love the way this gorgeous new story follows a young girl’s Diwali traditions as she celebrates with her family. Devi loves Diwali because it means she can wear her red bindi, eat delicious foods, and her family will host a big party! But first, they must prepare and clean for the holiday. This book beautifully weaves together both traditional and new ways to celebrate Diwali in a modern, secular world, including sharing the holiday with friends outside of the culture. 

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The cover of Crayola Diwali Colors, a vibrant Diwali book for kids.
Crayola Diwali Colors
By Mari Schuh

This vibrant story is a perfect concept book about colors for young children! From the golden glow of clay lanterns to brown henna to red Rangoli artwork, these beautiful pictures take children on a photographic journey of Diwali! 

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The cover of The Best Diwali Ever, an adorable Diwali book for kids.
The Best Diwali Ever
By Sonali Shah and Chaaya Prabhat

Ariana plans to make Diwali super special this year, with delicious sweets, fireworks, and the ever-so-special Rangoli competition. Ariana is determined to win the contest, and she knows everything will go perfectly… if not for her little brother, that is! Will Rafi ruin Ariana’s Diwali?

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The cover of Celebrate Diwali with Sweets, Lights and Fireworks, a beloved Diwali book for kids.
Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Diwali: With Sweets, Lights, and Fireworks
By Deborah Heiligman

We love the gorgeous photographs in this National Geographic resource! The stunning pages showcase the manner in which Diwali is celebrated around the world. Despite some differences, no matter where Diwali celebrations are held, one thing is always the same: the holiday is one of tremendous joy, in which Hindus celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

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The cover of Diwali Festival of Lights, a Diwali book for kids.
Diwali: Festival of Lights
By Rina Singh

Good over evil. Justice over oppression. These are just some of the themes that children interested in a longer text about Diwali will explore in this lovely book written by a critically acclaimed author. As she explores both her Diwali roots and shares Diwali stories, we are reminded that light will one day prevail over darkness.

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What is your favorite book about Diwali? Let us know in the comments below!

Happy reading!

RELATED: We’ve got the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check out these great picture books for kindergarten on up!

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Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren. I’m a boy mom, former attorney, current elementary school librarian, and moderator of book clubs for kids around the country. My goal is to make storytime with your children both magical and meaningful. Welcome! LEARN MORE 

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