Diwali books are a great way to learn more about the Festival of Lights, which this year falls on Friday 1st November 2024. Diwali, also referred to as Deepawali, is a five day-long festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. It's observed around the world, and Lakshmi, the Goddess of fortune, prosperity and wealth, is the primary deity worshipped during this period. Diwali takes place every year between October and November, with the dates changing according to the new moon on the Hindu lunisolar calendar.
While it's celebrated over five days, the main festival occurs on the third day, with fireworks displays, lamps being lit, and exchanging of gifts. The five day festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over dark, and is celebrated by lighting lamps, buying new outfits, redecorating the home, and coming together with family to exchange food such as sweetmeats and dried fruits. You might also see 'rangoli' painted on the floor in coloured powders which are often on the doorstep as a way to welcome the goddess Lakshmi into people's homes.
Best Diwali books
Whether you celebrate this special day personally or are looking for a way to help your little one learn about other cultures, religions and traditions, sharing books about Diwali is a great way to find out more. You could also add some colour and light to your own house with fun Diwali activities.
Whatever the age of your child, we've found eight gorgeous children's books that showcase how Diwali is celebrated, what it means, the story behind it and the activities that you can all do together.
Best overall Diwali book to celebrate the Festival of Light
The ideal way to introduce children to Rama and Sita and the story of Diwali, this picture book is full of vibrant illustrations little ones will love looking at.
Review: "As a teacher I needed a book to tell the story of Diwali which lead into them making their own Diva lamps. This book is lovely and colourful to keep the children engaged. A great resource for this topic."
Best Diwali book for colourful illustrations
Binny is excited to talk to her class about her favourite holiday Diwali. She tells them about the fireworks, the delicious pedras and jalebis, and the clay lamps called diyas.
Review: "A gorgeous picture book both for children who celebrate Diwali and also to introduce this colourful festival to kids who have never experienced it. Told from the point of view of a little girl whose excitement at sharing with her class the experiences of her family’s special celebration, turns to nervous fear. A lovely story for young children, enhanced by vibrant illustrations that really capture the festival of light."
Best Diwali book for storytelling
This year, Ariana has plans to make Diwali an extra special celebration, with sweets, divas around the house, beautiful clothes, magical fireworks and… the rangoli competition, of course. But will her annoying little brother Rafi ruin Diwali?
Review: "I bought this to read to my Reception class during Diwali. Very useful for teaching about how the festival is celebrated and the various preparations which go into it. A highly recommended text for all EYFS settings."
Best Diwali picture book
Part of the Celebrate the World series, which highlights special occasions and holidays across the globe, the third book encourages little ones to learn all about the traditions of Diwali.
Review: "This book talks about how Diwali is celebrated in modern India, so it's very relevant. The illustrations are clear, detailed and beautiful! We loved reading it with our kid."
Best Diwali sticker book
They might not get much reading done with this book but kids are sure to love bringing scenes such as baking treats and hanging lanterns to life with stickers. With over 200 stickers, there's plenty of opportunities to create magical scenes.
Best Diwali book for babies
The bold, brightly coloured pictures and short and snappy text of this sweet board book is a great way to discover Diwali together with your baby while younger toddlers will enjoy trying to sound out words and pretend to read it themselves.
Review: "Lovely simple books with bright and interesting pictures for my 18 month old to look at. His dad is Sri Lankan so it was lovely for him to have this book to teach him something of his culture. It's not a very long book but nice enough for my little boy."
Best Diwali book for toddlers
The Mr Men and Little Miss can't wait to join in with the festival of lights. They're busy cleaning their homes, creating Rangolis, lighting lamps and enjoying all the festivities. These familiar characters bring the celebrations to life in a way that children will be able to relate to.
Review: "The story does a good job at capturing and relating the spirit of Diwali and all its aspects from the preparation to the celebration itself with the help of the Mr Men & Little Miss characters. It's light-hearted, fun and has wonderful illustrations."
Best lift-the-flap Diwali book
AmazonThis gorgeous book is from the First Festivals series and invites children to explore the world's culture. The lift the flap style encourages the development of hand-eye coordination while engaging them and allowing them to reveal the rangoli pattern, look inside the temple and light the diyas lamps.
Review: "My one and three year olds love it, need to be careful with the pull up flaps with little ones but otherwise a great book for introducing diwali to your little ones!"
Each day of Diwali is celebrated differently, from cleaning your house to constructing coloured designs called rangolis, to tucking into a luxurious meal jam-packed with traditional Indian sweets.
With diverse books playing a big role in learning about celebrations of different faiths, like Diwali, your kids will be able to learn all about different world religions and ethnicities. New celebrations are most likely to bring your kids closer to understanding the different beliefs from around the world and of their neighbours and friends of different communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Diwali Called the Festival of Lights?
Diwali is most commonly known as the Festival of Lights. It’s a derivative of the Sanskrit word “deepavali”, which means “row of lights.” For Diwali, people were known for clay lamps lit with bright light that would line the outside of their homes at night to let their neighbours be aware of them uniting.
How is Diwali celebrated in India?
Diwali is celebrated in India in much the same way that Hindus in the United States celebrate the festival. This involves: spending quality time together with family and friends, cooking up a spectacular Indian feast worthy of the celebrations, lighting up the holiday with both lamps, more modern lights and even fireworks both inside and outside homes, shopping, presenting gifts, puja (prayers) and sweets.
Why do people light earthen lamps during Diwali?
The flame of the lamp has the destroyer principle (mārak tattva), which destroys the negative vibrations in the atmosphere. The protective sheath created by the lit lamps cleanses the house at the spiritual level and destroys all negative energies inside the house.
What should I look out for when choosing a book?
Babies and Toddlers: More attracted to bright colours and simple objects, preferably board and cloth books.
Preschool: They love nursery stories and other books depicting familiar objects like pop-up books.
Early school years: Picture books or sticker books with strong storylines and character development that get straight to the point.
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A journalist since 2015, Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for seven years. First-time mum to Theodore, Emily writes about everything from the top baby products to pregnancy, fertility and maternal mental health. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.