‘A Kids Book About Diwali’ by Indian-American author celebrates inclusivity, cultural awareness

New York: A new children's book about Diwali, written by Indian-American author Chhavi Arya Bhargava, aims to educate young readers about the festival's cultural traditions while promoting inclusivity and diversity.

Titled A Kids Book About Diwali, the book is part of the popular series A Kids Book About by A Kids Co. Bhargava, a former elementary school teacher and entrepreneur, expressed her inspiration for writing a book focused on this significant celebration in an interview as she wanted to "create something that every child, no matter what their background is, could pick up and immediately connect with.” 

"For those who celebrate Diwali, I wanted them to feel seen and to feel like they belong, and for those who do not, I wanted them to understand the festival and how they could join in the celebration," she said. The series includes 170 books that address important topics, helping parents and educators engage in meaningful discussions with children.

She describes A Kids Book About Diwali, with its core themes of beliefs, identity, joy, inclusivity and sharing, as a "guide to understanding how traditions can unite us -- light overcoming darkness, good triumphing over evil, knowledge over ignorance, justice over inequality -- these are universal messages".

She said she wants readers to "feel that connection to these values, no matter what cultural background they have… And I hope that they walk away with a sense of curiosity and pride -- curiosity about the world around them, and pride in their own or others' cultures. Diwali is for everyone.... it is an inclusive holiday."

In a significant development, New York City public schools will observe Diwali as a school holiday starting this year. Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to make this possible. With Diwali being celebrated across all regions and religions, Bhargava stressed that the book is about the celebration of Diwali as well as its message of inclusivity, which is "super important, especially during this time where we all feel divided. We want to feel united".

Bhargava emphasised that Diwali is a vibrant holiday filled with wonderful traditions, and her book is designed to explain these to everyone - whether they celebrate the festival or simply want to learn more. She noted that the book includes perspectives from various faiths that observe Diwali, such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.

Reflecting on her motivation to write the book, Bhargava mentioned that while there are some fictional stories about Diwali, there are few non-fiction books available. She added that in her research, she had talked to about 300 South Asian mothers and asked them to explain the significance of Diwali. While most of them spoke about traditions, fireworks, 'Rangoli,' feasts surrounding Diwali, "more than half could not tell me the significance of Diwali and the story behind it". "There are so many stories out there from different regions of India" about Diwali but many people still do not know about it.

"That was really important to me. I thought that the book would be just a refresher for a lot of the moms and it was a great tool to teach children," she said, adding that people reading this book "are going to learn something from it, whether you are a child, a teenager or an adult, you will learn something from A Kid's Book about Diwali.

She believes it’s essential for schools to actively celebrate Diwali and incorporate it into their curriculum meaningfully, rather than treating it as an afterthought. "You cannot have awareness without education. You cannot have inclusivity without awareness. So all of that ties in together," Bhargava said. 

PTI