HOW VED AND FRIENDS CELEBRATE DIWALI 

On November 4, the 4th and main day of Diwali – a five-day festival in most South Asia – will be celebrated across the world among the diaspora.

Ved and Friends Celebrate Dussehra and Diwali is a picture book for children in elementary school.

It tells us all about the legends connected to Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali while also showing how we celebrate the festival in North America and has been on Amazon's #1 Bestseller list during Diwali season for the past four years.

Ved and Friends has a collection of fun activities (including making coconut laddoos!) that can keep children happily occupied for hours. Children also learn about all the activities one has to perform during the celebrations.

Raising culturally-aware children away from family roots can be challenging at times. Finding content catering to this need is equally challenging, says author Diksha Pal Narayan who began to explore the idea of this book when she was unable to find suitable content for her child. 

Pal Narayan has written four books for children.

Ved’s Little Book on Devotion is a picture book that tells children how to be good humans. Ved and Friends Investigate Your Family helps them explore their roots and map family histories with their parents.  No No Nana is, a chapter book that helps South Asian children normalize why most summer vacations are spent with their grandparents or relatives in their parents’ native country. It speaks of funny stories with language and experiences that they go through.

“I felt there was a void when it came to South Asian children’s literature,” she says. “I couldn’t find anything representing the North American South Asian child, so I created it myself! I aim to give a voice and vocabulary to South Asian children and make their culture and festivities known to their non-South Asian celebrations. My mantra is Making Culture Cool.

“I aim to take our legends and give them a new-age twist. Like on the first day of Navratri, we make our own DIY Ravan, and on the day of Dussehra, we burn our Ravan and the list of bad habits that we have to become better people in the new year. Participation is essential, non-South Asian Children also enjoy participating in these activities.”

She is currently working on her first collection of short stories, Canadian Chai, set to be released in May of 2022.

Pal Narayan does regular virtual storytime sessions where she introduces her audience to South Asian Culture. More info on her and her other books at dikshapnarayan.com.

Ved and Friends Celebrate Dussehra and Diwali ($20.94) and the other books are available on Amazon.