Anjali Joshi’s Why We Celebrate Diwali is a luminous introduction to the festival of lights, blending easy-to-read storytelling with jewel-toned illustrations. It traces the many origin stories and regional traditions of Diwali—reminding readers that while the celebrations differ, the spirit of renewal and togetherness shines through.

The sidebars with fun facts, crafts, and recipes make it engaging for children and families, though the brief mention of Kali Puja and omission of Annakut traditions leave you wishing for a little more depth. Still, this is a warm, inclusive, and beautifully illustrated primer—perfect for classrooms, libraries, or as a festive family read.

3.5 star

Diwali is a festival of lights and the triumph of good over evil celebrated on the darkest day of the month for 5 days. It is celebrated in India and South Asia by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists and wherever people of the culture have migrated. The biggest Diwali party outside of India is in Leicester, England and includes the lighting of 65,000 lights! There are specific traditions that take place each day and include games, singing, dancing, exchanging gifts, decorating, oil lamps, fireworks, parties, FOODs!, feasts, acts of kindness, and wearing traditional clothing. It is part of the ways of preserving culture and traditions for the generations who have come to another land with their immigrant parents/grandparents and represent all of the celebration being held in India and South Asia. Did you know that there are 121 different languages in India?
The illustrations are simple, delightful, and brilliantly colorful.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley from Callisto Publishing | Callisto Kids via NetGalley. *****review #NetGalley #bookbub #goodreads #storygraph
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I knew nothing about Diwali, which in what lead me to request this ARC. Back in my schooling days, this was not a culture frequently talked about. However, it is now more prominent where I live. I've never understood what it meant or how they celebrated it, so this book did a great job educating me on the topic without too much confusing information. I love how they described how it is celebrated in each country, showing it is not the same everywhere. The recipes were also such a cute touch. This would be a great addition to an elementary or middle school library.

Thank you to Netgalley, Anjali Joshi, and Callisto publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Between 4 & 5 stars.

At nearly 60, I'm not the target audience for this children's book. But since I knew nothing about Diwali, I thought it would be a good place to start.

Rather impressed that the book mentions some variations in the celebration based on different countries.

Recipes and other fun activities at the end of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Callisto Publishing (Callisto Kids) for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Why we Celebrate Diwali in exchange for an honest review. Approx 56 pages. Release date Aug 12, 2025.

I found this to be an interesting and informative read. It helped me understand the holiday. I also like the colorful illustrations.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why We Celebrate Diwali: Everything to Know about Your Favorite Holiday (Kindle Edition)
by Anjali Joshi
A concise text showing the many ways Diwali is celebrated all over the world. It shows the different variations by region in India. The book gives recipes, history, and mythology based in the celebration. It is a good resource for schools and classrooms to help explain different cultures and bring inclusion for Indian students.

I am keen to encourage my children to read about other festivals and this was the perfect book for Diwali. It was easy to read and packed with lots of information. My 8 year old son really liked it, especially the recipes and the crafts at the end.

#NetGalley

Why We Celebrate Diwali, written by Anjali Joshi, is a brilliant little introduction to Diwali for young children aged 6-9, featuring bright and beautiful illustrations, a glossary and resources to help you prepare and celebrate this festival. This book also features a number of stories which are both detailed and accessible for children.
I would recommend this brilliant informative book to all classrooms and for all home bookshelves.

Why We Celebrate Diwali provides a very straight forward overview of the holiday. It is set up in a way that it could be completed in chunks and even includes activities and recipes to supplement the factual information. This would be a great non-fiction resource for elementary aged students. The illustrations are colorful and fun.

Thanks to Callisto Kids and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful and informative read. I’m a third generation Indian and while we celebrated Diwali in my household and were taught about it, there is still so much I don’t know. I really wish I had a lovely book like this growing up. I think it would have made me appreciate my culture and Diwali so much more. What a beautiful holiday.