Sunday, January 22, 2023

Holi Hai! by Chitra Soundar and Darshika Varma - ESSENTIAL

Holi Hai! by Chitra Soundar and Darshika Varma
. PICTURE BOOK. Albert Whitman & Company, 2022. $17. 9780807533574 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

An Indian girl named Gauri is preparing to celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors, with her family. They each draw a color to prepare, and Gauri is upset to draw red instead of her favorite color yellow. The grandfather tells the tale of Prahlada from Indian mythology to explain why they celebrate Holi. Gauri realizes she needs to stop being angry in order to enjoy the celebration.

I had heard of the Indian Festival of Colors but had no idea why it was celebrated or what it meant. This book is a brilliant explanation of the mythology and current traditions surrounding the festival. Young children will be able to understand and appreciate the significance of this event in Indian culture. After the story, there is an additional explanation about the festival and a glossary for the Indian words used.

J. Smith, Teacher Librarian 

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