Celebrating Diwali Book Review

Books are a great way to learn about cultures and celebrations that we might not participate in ourselves, and there are a lot of great kids books that can help people of all ages understand different cultures and holidays they might not already know about.

Celebrating Diwali by Anjali Joshi is a brief book that covers the basics of the five-day festival of light that is celebrated by about 1 in 7 people in the world across 90 countries.

Diwali is celebrated by several different religions, and the traditions and stories about the holiday can vary among groups and families. The main commonality is that it is seen as a triumph of light over darkness or good over evil.

In some cultures the holiday is said to celebrate Prince Rama’s defeat of the demon Ravan, who had kidnapped his wife, Suta. Other Diwali tales highlight the victory of Krishna over the demon Narakasura, while other religious groups have other stories to celebrate.

The book outlines the celebrations and what the different days of the holiday are said to stand for, and how it is celebrated in different religious traditions. It also includes crafts, recipes and games for your Diwali celebration.

It provides a nice, quick overview of Diwali for people who don’t have much knowledge of the celebration and does a good job of covering different ways it might be celebrated by people of different religious backgrounds.

About the book: 50 pages, paperback, published September 2022 by Rockridge Press. Suggested retail price $7.99.

Explaining Dia de Los Muertos to kids can be difficult because most of us don’t generally talk about death or what happens when we die a lot with our kids. But Dia de los Muertos is actually a happy, not scary occasion that allows us to remember loved ones, share stories and come together as a community.

While it is mostly celebrated by people of Mexican heritage, the day has become more well known thanks to movies and other media representations. And there are some great children’s books to help explain and allow you to celebrate the holiday if you want.

Dia de Muertos by Jaque Jours, illustrated by Alejandra Ruiz (48 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by words & pictures, suggested retail price $14.99) tells the story of a family getting their ofrenda (altar for the dead) ready and how they remember people who have died through decorations, food and sharing stories.

It covers the classic decorations and rituals of Dia de los Muertos including using cempasúchil (in English we call them marigolds) and papel picado (cut paper banners), pan de muerto and la catrina, the elaborately dressed, skull faced women that are a common site at Dia de los Muertos gatherings.

The back of the book explores how the day is celebrated throughout Mexico as well as the meanings of different symbols. There’s a recipe for pan de muerto, a tutorial for making papel picado and tips for doing makeup to look like like la catrina/el catrin.

Want to try more traditional foods? The Dia de Los Muertos Cookbook is a companion to The Dia de Los Muertos Story, both of which are by Andrea Jáuregui de la Torre and illustrated by Laura González (52 pages, hardcover paper over boards, published 2026 by becker & meyer kids!, suggested retail price $19.99).

The book opens with some discussion of the meaning of Dia de los Muertos and why food is an important part of the day. The recipes included are easy enough for kids to make with minimal help, and all based on food memories from her childhood.

There are recipes for hibiscus iced tea, Mexican corn and salsa, tortillas, molletes (open faced sandwiches with beans and cheese), jicama fries and sugar skulls to name a few.

Other activities in the book include papel picado, coffee filter marigolds, making your own playlist and making an ofrenda.

Together these books give young readers insight into this holiday that might be new or confusing to them, while also giving you a chance to get in the kitchen together and make your own Dia de los Muertos memories.

Have you read?

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