Amma, Tell Me About Diwali! (Amma Tell Me, 2)

My 3 year old asks me to read this to her constantly! At first, I thought this book would be a little long, which it could be for those with a shorter attention span, but my daughter not only listened to the entire story, I had to re-read it on request. It is nice, however, if you wish to break it up. The book has 3 "sections" that aren't clearly delineated, but easy enough to figure out as you read. First, it starts with how Klaka (the main character) celebrates Diwali with his family. Then, his Amma (mom) tells him about why we celebrate Diwali, about Rama vs. Ravana, etc. Lastly, he hears about Goddess Lakshmi and the importance of being a good person, not just doing the rituals of lighting diyas. The pictures are beautiful, the verses rhyme a bit loosely (I didn't even notice the rhyme my first time through the book), the message is great, the history is told in a simple way for young children. All in all, I love this book and most importantly, my daughter loves it too!

The illustrations were okay; a little dark, not bright and colorful. One page had a “scary” looking guy. But the main things was all the words. It was recommended for ages 2-8 years, but you’d have to skip a lot, to accommodate a 2/3 year old.

This book is a wonderful little package that covers all the highlights of Diwali.- Starts with sharing a perfect, happy & festive Diwali day to highlight the celebrations.- Then recaps the Ramayana in about 9 pages & 14 short paragraphs to share the reason for the celebration.- Finally ends with a story about Goddess Lakshmi, which has a beautiful moral that highlights the importance of honesty & hard work for kids.All in all: This book is a perfect little package that celebrates the festival, shares the reason behind the festivities - and all with the help of FANTASTIC ILLUSTRATIONS!!HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

This year, when Diwali came, I was looking for a book that could help explain to my 3 year old son what Diwali is. As most Indians may be familiar with, I have the Amar Chitra Katha books but felt that they were targeted more towards an older child.Once I read the reviews for this book, I decided to order it and I'm glad I did. It is clear and the language is appropriate to read to a 3 year old. If you find the book a little too long for a younger child, you can always read the first part (about Rama) and save the next part (about Lakshmi) for the next night.I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend it friends looking to explain Diwali to their young children.

the story is very detailed. Bought this book to read to the preschool classes. This was too much for them to understand. It is a good one to read and teach your kids at home. Not as good for the school setting.

As an American married to an Indian-American, I enjoyed reading this version of Diwali to our toddler. It details the festival in three parts providing brief background to the Gods and Goddesses. I want our toddler to understand this holiday but being far from my husband's family we do not get to celebrate it first hand with loved ones; so many -isms are lost. I am trying to recreate it in all its colorful, bright and lively glory. This book not only allows me as a parent to get a better idea of Diwali and how it is celebrated but allows our kid to have another form of exposure to this most special of holidays.

It's really hard to find books and other materials that are appropriate for bicultural kids. My kids are growing up in Australia but I want them to understand their sub-continental heritage and books like this one and the others in the series are great. This book is particularly brilliant because of the spectacular illustrations.I have 'only' given it 4 stars rather than 5 because it's quite long, so although the language is pitched at an appropriate level for both my 3 and 6 yr old, it could be too long for some kids of similar ages.

I received the book well packaged. The story seemed little bit twisted than the original but is a nice read for kids.

I like that, unlike many other books, it tells the story behind the festival with Rama and Sita and Ravana.Unfortunately the writing is stilted with no rhythm and poor rhymes. The illustrations aren't my favourite either- on one page the child's eye is Picasso-like and sits halfway off his face. I do like the patterns though.

This is an excellent series of books to learn about Indian festivals. Our grandchildren enjoy them immensely. Every year, their grandmother has to read the whole story to them. They love the illustrations.

Great for bi-culture children. I got this for my daughter and we live in NZ. It may be a bit too much for an 18 month old but she sure did enjoy looking at the colours and am sure in time she will enjoy it. I just wish the language used were more toddler friendly i.e. words that rhyme. May be a little difficult considering the cultural differences. Otherwise, book is definitely a hit.

beautifully illustrated, my 5yr old and 3yr old loves listening to it - easy to follow but also has an important message 'just praying isn't enough, actions need to be good!'

Amma, tell me about Diwali!It's not easy to answer the uncountable questions asked by an inquisitive child. With so many festivals gone by, and now that she knows and understands things, Tia had so many questions on mind about Diwali. This book came across as a saviour!With beautiful illustrations & understandable writing style, this book is surely something that will keep you & your child hooked. Loved the writing style. Since Tia is 7 now, she almost read the whole book herself but for smaller kids, parent needs to read aloud & explain the story to the child.If your kiddo loves reading or listening to stories, this book is a good one to have in their collection!