Tuesday 14 October 2014

Book Review - Amma, tell me about Diwali!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 13/10/2014

NAME OF THE BOOK - Amma, tell me about Diwali!
AUTHOR - Bhakti Mathur
ILLUSTRATOR - Maulshree Somani
PUBLISHER - Anjana Publishing
AGE GROUP - 4+

          Just a week left to Diwali and we are already enjoying the pre-Diwali festive spirit. All shops are crowded, roads are chock-a-block with carts selling rangolis, diyas, lanterns etc. Diwali is one festival where there is no distinction between rich and poor, caste, religion etc. All of them celebrate in individual capacity but celebrate nonetheless.

          For our book pick of the week, then, we had to choose a book related obviously to Diwali. So, here is a book that describes how Diwali is celebrated and why. Amma, tell me about Diwali was part of the monthly quota of books we receive in our LRN kit (Mythology theme).

  Image Courtesy: Amazon.in

ABOUT THE BOOK -
          This is the second book we are reviewing it in this series. You can read the review of Amma, tell me about Ganesha here. The book starts off with Diwali celebrations in Klaka's house. They light Diyas, burn fire-crackers, eat sweets, etc. Then when going to bed, Klaka asks why do we celebrate Diwali and their mother explains to them the story of Homecoming of Lord Rama in Ayodhya - of how Lord Rama was ordered fourteen years in exile, how Ravana captures Sita, How Lord Rama wages a war against Ravana with the help of Hanumana and how they return to their homeland.

          The book does not end here. Amma also tells another story od Goddess Lakshmi of how she blesses her true devotees.

          Written beautifully in poetic verses, and amazingly illustrated, this book is a delight to even flip the colourful pages! Some sample lines are as follows -

Brilliant firecrackers lighting up the night,
Diyas twinkling like stars - what a sight!
This is Diwali, in all its glory
As told to little Klaka, by his Amma - a magical story.
 
First the celebration of Prince Rama and his homecoming,
His victory over Ravana, the evil demon King.
Next a story of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth
who rewards her true devotees with fortune and good health.

          The author has written in such a simple language for even a 4 year old to understand Ramayana. It would have become very daunting to explain it. Thank you Bhakti Mathur for making the parents' job easier.

At the end, a glossary of Sanskrit terms is explained in English.        

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Bhakti Mathur lives in Hong Kong with her husband, her two sons, and their beloved Golden Labrador. She is a banker by profession.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR-
Maulshree Somani lives with her husband and son in Mumbai, India. She worked at Walt Disney and subsequently set up her own graphic design company.

          Members, the book is available on first come first serve basis at our library. Others can buy it on AmazonFlipkart or even at their online website. Wishing you a very happy, safe and prosperous  Diwali. Do read the book and tell us what you think of it.
 

Come join a set of fabulous bloggers sharing their Diwali moments , easy Crafts, DIY ideas, Recipes and book recommendations with you .

Starting from today till Diwali and beyond, each one of us will be writing a post related to Diwali.
Participating blogs
So sit back, relax and check out all the fabulous Diwali Dhamaka posts in the linky.

11 comments:

  1. I think it is a good idea to teach about religious significance of Diwali to kids. Seems like a Must read book.

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    1. Yes its a must read book! Especially on Diwali. What's more it's written in such a simple language that you hardly need to explain!

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  2. Came across the Amma series this summer when we went home and such beautiful books. Even for adults :)

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    1. Yes Prachi they are beautiful! Even I was delighted when I read the first time.

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  3. Oh.. nice!! Thank you for this book review. I was hoping to find something to teach the kids a little more about religion.. Im intrigued and will surely check the Amma series!! Thanks
    Patricia

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  4. We love this book & will surely read again for diwali :) Happy Diwali

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  5. Thank you for your suggestion. Will try to pick this one for my kids.

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    1. Sorry for replying late but you must try at least one from the series.

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  6. I saw this series at Landmark and found the illustrations very attractive but I thought at 8 years my kids would be too old for it. Or would you recommend it? I could get the others in the series.

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    1. I think it will not suit your 8 year old. If you want to try mythology you could go for The Myth Quest Series or Fun in Devlok series. Both the series are good!

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  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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