A list of children’s books about Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors
The Children’s Book Review
Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, celebrated for a day and a night at the beginning of Spring, may well be one of the best-known Indian celebrations with its emphasis on bright colors and the expression of love. But what is Holi, why is Holi celebrated, and when did Holi begin? And, perhaps most importantly, what can those of us who don’t celebrate Holi learn from this joyous festival?
On the night of the full moon (Purnima) in March each year, the festival begins with Holika Dahan and concludes with the throwing of colors the following day. So now is the perfect time to introduce young readers to books and stories about this iconic celebration.
The following list of books will help introduce readers of all ages to the history, traditions, and stories of Holi.
Festival of Colors
Written by Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal
Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Ages 2-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Beach Lane Books | ISBN-13: 9781481420495
Publisher’s Synopsis: Holi, Hai! Holi, Hai! It’s time to prepare for the Indian springtime Festival of Colors in this delightful Classic Board Book!
It’s time for the Indian festival of Holi, a celebration of the start of spring, of new beginnings, and of good over evil. Friends, families, and neighbors wear white clothing and toss handfuls of brightly colored powders at one another until they’re all completely covered from head to toe! Young readers will love following the young siblings gathering flowers to make the colorful powders for the big day until—poof!—it’s time for the fun to begin.
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Holi Colors
Written by Rina Singh
Ages 0-2 | 24 Pages
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers | ISBN-13: 9781459818491
Publisher’s Synopsis: Experience Holi with every color of the rainbow! This Hindu celebration known as the festival of colors and the festival of love signifies the end of winter, the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. A time to laugh, play, visit friends and get messy! Little ones will love exploring the colors of Holi through the vibrant photographs and Singh’s playful rhymes in this brilliant concept book.
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Let’s Celebrate Holi! (Maya & Neel’s India Adventure Series, Book 3)
Written by Ajanta Chakraborty and Vivek Kumar
Ages 3-7 | 40 Pages
Publisher: Bollywood Groove | ISBN-13: 9781945792168
Publisher’s Synopsis: An Amazon Bestseller, multiple years in a row, this storybook is a delightful way for kids to learn about Holi! Go on an adventure with Maya, Neel and their cute little partner, Chintu the squirrel, as they learn all about this famous Indian festival of colors including the story behind Holi, the colorful Holi markets, the incredible fun of playing Holi, the delicious Holi food and drinks and even about some unique ways of celebrating throughout the country.
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Shalu: Holi, the Festival of Colors
Written by Nick Sharma
Ages 6-8 | 31 Pages
Publisher: Penman Productions | ISBN-13: 9780991480432
Publisher’s Synopsis: Come and play with Shalu as she teaches about the Indian tradition of Holi, The Festival of Colors and learns how to get along with others despite having differences. Shalu tries to befriend Preeya, a new girl in school and finds that they are not alike. Shalu likes blue; Preeya likes red. Shalu likes the sun; Preeya likes the moon. Shalu likes sweet things; Preeya likes sour. Shalu wonders if they can be friends if they are so different? Join Shalu and Preeya as they learn the meaning of friendship as they take part in Holi, The Festival of Colors.
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Crayola: Holi Colors
Written by Robin Nelson
Ages 4-9 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Lerner Publications | ISBN-13: 978-1541527508
Publisher’s Synopsis: Purple, yellow, green, and red—color is everywhere during Holi! Learn about this festival of colors through eye-catching photos and engaging text. Back matter features the Crayola® colors used throughout the book and includes a reproducible coloring page.
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Amma, Tell Me About Holi!
Written by Bhakti Mathur
Illustrated by Maulshree Somani
Ages 2-8 | 28 Pages
Publisher: Anjana Publishing | ISBN-13: 978-9881239532
Publisher’s Synopsis: Siblings Klaka and Kiki gather with their friends and family to celebrate this spring festival which symbolises new beginnings, friendships, forgiveness, and, of course, a license to being naughty and playing pranks! At the end of the day as Amma tucks the brothers in bed, she answers their countless questions – Why do we color one another on Holi, where does Holi get its name from? Why do we light a fire the night before Holi? Tell your children about Holi, the Indian Festival of Colours, by reading this beautiful children’s picture book to them, written in rhyme with captivating illustrations, from the bestselling author of the ‘Amma Tell Me’ Series, Bhakti Mathur.
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Holi Hai!
Written by Chitra Soundar
Illustrated by Darshika Varma
Ages 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: AW Teen | ISBN-13: 978-0807533574
Publisher’s Synopsis: Gauri is excited to splash colors on everyone for Holi. But when she doesn’t get her favorite color, Gauri gets mad. Will she find a way to overcome her anger and join in the festivities?
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Holi Colors!
Written by Deven Jatkar
Ages 5-12 | 40 Pages
Publisher: MonkeyMantra | ISBN-13: 9780997718157
Publisher’s Synopsis: It is the day before India’s Festival of Colors, Holi! Maya is looking forward to splashing and spraying colors with her friends and family. She falls on her head and wakes up in a black and white world with a chaos of colors. Why do everyone and everything look so different? Will Maya be able to play Holi tomorrow? And what fun is Holi without the colors? Maya heads out to explore this confusing world. Gold Recipient of Mom’s Choice Awards®.
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The book list Holi Is the Hindu Festival of Colors: 8 Vibrant Kids’ Books You’ll Love was curated by Dr. Jen Harrison. Follow along with our articles and reviews tagged with Culture Around The World, India, Picture Books, and Tradition.
