Diwali

For those who know nothing about this holiday, Pettiford gets straight to the point: “Diwali is the Hindu New Year. It begins in fall. It lasts five days.” That s a bit vague fall is an awful broad period but readers will still get plenty out of this short, upbeat, and helpful entry in the Holidays series. Diwali, which Pettiford defines as meaning row of lights, incorporates various symbols (defined again in the back matter): Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; the oil lamp called a diya; rangoli artwork; and laddu sweet cake. The relevance of these items is mostly left unspecified, though they should nonetheless pique the interest of kids, who might be able to draw comparisons to symbols of Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays. Pettiford’s use of the we pronoun is inviting, and her clear prose is ably assisted by big, sharp photos of happy families wearing sparkly traditional wear and hovering over dozens of candles, creating flower arrangements, and other activities that look like good fun. Daniel Kraus