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!
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
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.
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.
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
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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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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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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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!
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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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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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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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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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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