Celebrate Diwali with Read-Alouds!

When children see their culture represented in books, it can promote inclusivity and self-worth. Being able to share parts of their lives at home and have others interested in the holidays they celebrate may make students feel more accepted and comfortable in the group. 

When children learn about many cultures and different holidays, it helps them to appreciate the world and the people around them. Introducing your children to a variety of cultures, via the gift of reading, is one step to raising culturally sensitive humans. 

Diwali is a major holiday celebrated by people of Hindu and other faiths, and is a major holiday in India, similar to Thanksgiving or Christmas in the US, according to National Geographic magazine. It is typically in late October or early November, November 12th in 2023. Here are a few titles to get started with at an early elementary, even preschool, level.

The Diwali Gift by Shweta Chopra and Shuchi Mehta (2015)

The characters get a gift from one character’s grandmother, Dadima, to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali. This story explains some of the traditions of a Diwali celebration - it may help some students make connections to their holiday, which may not be a holiday we all know about. There is a wonderful glossary at the back that would be worth scanning first for key definitions. Children light up when they feel connections with a story - this would be a great story to help them shine and promote inclusivity . 

Diwali (board book) by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan (2018)

This is a great little book that shows the ways that Diwali is celebrated - gathering with friends and family, lighting the brightest lanterns, and praying for a bountiful season. The illustrations show the family cleaning, decorating, and making rangoli, which are beautiful sand paintings. Lighting diyas (candle vessels) and feasting are also integral parts of the holiday. Even though is looks like a simple board book, this book is packed with info and will explain the holiday, and help children make connections. 

Although not about Diwali, my Diwali-celebrating friends really enjoyed this book, which highlights some vocabulary and customs, while setting it all to a “Wheels on the Bus” rhyme. 

The Wheels on the TukTuk by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal (2015)

The book has a great glossary to get up to speed on words that might be unfamiliar. Students can join in - it won’t matter what their cultural background is - and learn about each other in the process. Even the smallest students might want to sing along and in our case, lots of giggles and trying out pronunciations ensued! 

The wala will drive you around in the tuktuk and you might get inspired to make your own tuktuk afterwards. My friends lined up some chairs and played tuktuk, checking their pronunciations with each other - adorable! 

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There are several others books now available - these are just a small selection, as publishers have begun to respond to the need for more diversity in children’s books. 

The family members who were consulted about book choice regarding Diwali and related culture were very animated and excited to see the books, which I love and appreciate! I wanted to make sure that the books I chose were accurate and acceptable - but what I learned was that being consulted was unexpected and very welcome. So, feel free to try this strategy with your village! 

And - have fun! 

Book Choice: Expanding Equity

There are so many great, diverse books for children that can be introduced into your home or classroom library, enhancing your selection, making it more multi-cultural and more equitable. By showing characters of all races, creeds, and family and home situations, you are including all in your home or classroom, and making sure that your children are seeing that the world is full of wonderful diversity. Showing characters with physical challenges, or including characters who might have unseen differences, opens up great conversations and normalizes varied situations.

A short list of favorites doesn't even begin to touch on some fabulous new and old titles. Use this as a jumping off point, but keep adding to your own list - it's so important! 

Some books to look for ....

 

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson (2018)

This book doesn’t leave you at how people are different but rather reminds us that when we reach out and take the first steps, people meet us half way.

 

This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe (2017)  

One day in the lives of seven kids from Iran, Russia, Peru, India, Japan, Uganda, and Italy. Highlights differences and sameness about their schools, homes, dress, food, play, etc.

 

La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya (2017) 

This is a great retelling of the familiar fairy tale, with up to date illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal. Check out the glossary of Spanish terms up front before reading.  So great for native Spanish speakers to celebrate their native tongue. Look for other books of this type - familiar stories with different languages and cultures featured.

 

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall (2017)  

This beautiful, simple book is very relatable for all children – the main character is working up courage to jump off the diving board.  Looking for books that show characters of all colors helps students see themselves in books.

 

The Bad Seed by Jory John (2017)  

The cool, graphic illustrations show the Bad Seed (the "bad" kid) and how it got to be bad … you will start to feel sorry for the bad one and root for it to go good.  Shows a kid version of trauma, and trying to find good in what can sometimes be a tough world … the right book for a certain situation.  Great for helping students develop empathy.  

 

The Diwali Gift  by Shweta Chopra and Shuchi Mehta (2015) 

The characters get a gift from one’s grandmother, Dadima, to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali. Explains some traditions of a Diwali celebration – may help some students make connections to their holiday, which may not be a holiday all know about. Definitely read the glossary in the back for definitions first. 

 

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman (2018)  

This story is told in its pictures and has to be looked at closer than just the words on the page. Pictures depict children of all races, religions, etc. working and playing together in a school environment. 

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox (1997) 

This is a sweet, classic book which celebrates the similarities among people, instead of differences. 

 

The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss (1961) 

This book has an important message for any/all marginalized groups. 

 

The Family Book by Todd Parr (2003)  

All kinds of family groups are shown in this inclusive book. This books shows us that no matter what size or shape your family is, it is a great family for you. 

 

The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch (1992)  

The Princess saves the prince and then figures out she’s better alone - flips the gender stereotype.

Do this important work to celebrate diversity! 

And, as always, have fun doing it!

Exploring with Ezra Jack Keats

Ezra Jack Keats was a groundbreaking author/illustrator who left us a gorgeous collection of storybooks, with characters drawn from minority groups and what he called "outsiders.” When The Snowy Day (one of the first books that Keats authored) was published back in 1962, it broke the color barrier for depictions of characters in children's books. 

Keats had grown up poor during the Great Depression in a Jewish neighborhood of New York City, and said he knew what it felt like to feel "outside the group." Although he was white, he decided early on to make many of his characters reflect the varied groups of people that he saw every day, who were not seen in the books he read. His use of urban settings and characters representing all races, set him apart as an author and illustrator and won him awards, such as the Caldecott Medal, for his work.

As a teacher, I can recall reading The Snowy Day to a class, including children of color, and having children get excited about seeing "themselves" in the story book. It was a wake-up call for me to curate my classroom collection so that this wasn't an unusual occurrence, but rather one of many books depicting characters from all races, creeds, living and family situations, etc. As Ezra Jack Keats believed, "all children should be able to see themselves in a book they love."

Keats went on to write and illustrate many, many books. Some of his characters were featured in several books, such as Peter, first seen in The Snowy Day. Peter was featured in 5 or 6 books, and grew up to be an older child in Pet Show. Students get very excited when they make this connection!

Keats' style of illustration was also so engaging and is completely captivating all these years later! He used all different methods, incorporating some collage, gouache, pen and ink, etc. in order to keep his art interesting. Kids find his colorful work fun to look at!

There are so many Keats stories that you can build an extension activity from ... 

The Snowy Day - use a shaving cream/glue solution to layer on “snow“ and use urban building silhouettes to complete a landscape and then write about it.

Peter's Chair - remember a "special something" that was handed down in your family and draw it, cut it out and embed it in a picture with more collage elements.

Whistle for Willie - imagine hiding in a box or learning a new skill and who you would surprise with it ... now draw it or write about it!

You can use any book to try collage, embedding some newspaper scraps and even fabric in a picture and writing about a character or scene from the story.

For more information about Ezra Jack Keats, click below:

https://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/

Have fun!

Small Steps Towards Equity and Inclusion

Teachers (and parents) can broaden children’s experiences through thoughtful, inclusive choices in both literature and in choosing topics for project-based learning. Seeing a range of people reflected in books, and opening up topics that are inclusive, where everyone can contribute and feel connected, are just two ways to honor and celebrate the differences among us.

All children need and deserve to see themselves in books - to feel a part of the world represented in literature, through illustrations and photos. If they do not, they won’t necessarily feel the connection to literature as a whole and to specific stories that may reflect or expand their experience of the world. Children should also be looking at illustrations and reading stories that broaden their view of different cultures ... there is a wealth of great books out there to choose from.

It’s easy to find book lists that are inclusive and expansive, depicting children of all races, cultures, ethnicities, etc. Books that also show characters with disabilities, varied family structures, and in different living situations are so important, as they normalize things for children who may feel marginalized in some way.

In order to feel truly a part of play and learning situations, children must also be able to make connections to the materials featured in the classroom. Choosing topics for group activities that level the playing field opens the door for children with differing backgrounds and experiences to meet on common ground. Topics that are drawn from nature, for example, allow all children ... those who are learning a new language, those with special needs, those with fewer background experiences, even those with trauma in their past ... to join in and contribute.

Common subjects like leaves, snow, planting, motion ... the typical “science” explorations have shown to be great equalizers in our class. Using these types of topics to launch new vocabulary, build knowledge, and explore common questions, helps our students all get involved in the topics we explore. Using these projects to bring together all of our children has helped make our classroom a community, and give each child a voice. And, it has been a very happy voice!

Have fun - and promote equity!