May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month in America. America is definitely a diverse country with so many people from all over the world moving here. From Filipinos to Indians, Chinese to native Hawaiians and then Koreans, Chamorros and Vietnamese.
India is a beautiful country sitting below the Himalayan mountain range on the top and surrounded by water bodies to the south. With around 22 official languages, 121 spoken languages and around 270 mother tongues, India is a diverse country. People follow different religions, follow different customs and practices.India is also famous for it’s delicious food. From the spicy entrees and appetizers to the divine tasting desserts, India has a exotic food bursting with flavors.
Having born and raised in India,I want my Indian American kids to know all about the cultural heritage, traditions, the stories and much more. Visiting India quite often isn’t always possible for our family, so sometimes we share stories from childhood with our kids. The stories we have been listening to from our parents & grand parents. Plus what can be better than reading books? I always look for good Indian books for kids with amazing illustrations depicting the cultural heritage and telling them great story while also teaching them the valuable life lessons.
So, here are my favorite books depicting Indian heritage.
My number one suggestion is this mathematical tale by Demi. This is an amazing book with beautiful illustration depicting the Indian culture and costumes. The story is about a girl name Rani who outwits a Raja(the King) when he takes away all the Rice crop produced in the kingdom for safe keeping, to use during a drought. But when the time comes he simply avoids sharing the rice with the people wanting to keep everything for himself. It’s amazing how a single grain of rice can add up to tons and tons of rice that could feed a village. This book is great if your kids are learning Multiplication. While it helps them understand the mathematical calculations , the book also teaches a good life lesson.
Ages: 4-10 years
2. The Elephant’s Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India by Marcia Williams
This book is so vibrant and colorful with comic style folktales inspired by the Jataka tales, the Panchatantra and the Hitopadesha. It’s wise and also entertaining along with the child friendly illustrations engages the reader.The comic style narration is great for early readers as well as kids who doesn’t enjoy reading as much. My kids thoroughly enjoy this fun bright pink colored book.
3. Hot Hot Roti for Dada-Ji by Farhana Zia
A nice entertaining book with descriptive illustrations and simple text. I love the culture depicted in this book. I am sure your kids will enjoy reading this book just as mine did while also learning a thing or two about the Indian food & family.
Ages: 5-8 years
4. Laksmi’s mooch by Shelly Anand
Laxmi’s Mooch is another body positive book that I would like to add to this list. Difference in race also means difference in facial features and color. As parents, we should teach our kids to accept who they are and assure them these different features are be proud of their heritage no matter what others say/comment.
That’s exactly what this book explains with the story about a girl named Laxmi who was teased for her facial upper lip hair calling it a mustache.(Mooch means mustache). With her parent’s help she learns the body hair can grow at place other than the head as well. The affirmative text is simple to understand and delivers a beautiful message.
While this book doesn’t depict the heritage exactly, but it definitely gives you some insight to life if a Indian American.
Ages:4-8
Do you want your kids learn about various dance forms in India? Then this beautiful book with colorful illustrations is a must have! It features dance forms from across the country including Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Manipuri and more. Oh, did I mention it features Bollywood too! I would highly recommend this book to all the Indian Americans as well as anyone who is interested to know a little bit about how diversity & Indian culture.
Ages: 3-8 years
6. The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal
This is a fun picture book with a international twist to the most lover nursery rhyme “Wheels on the bus…”Tuk tuk is a three wheeled mini bus, which is a mode of public transport in India. Although some of the words used in the book are silly, it gives you an idea about the place and the experience you would probably have if you were riding on the Tuk Tuk. It’s a fun ride for sure!
Rapunzel (Once Upon a World) is another book with an international twist to Rapunzel’s story is also a wonderful book. You can find the book here.
Reading age: 2-5 years
7. Finders Keepers?: A Bus Trip in India by Robert Arnett
A beautiful book with a great lesson! This is how I would like to describe this book. Finders keepers is a charming true story written inspired by the boy the author met on his trip to India. This delightful book with amazing illustrations takes readers on an amazing journey through India. The book teaches cultural awareness and respect. The values of honesty and respect are emphasized in the book. The book also includes pronunciations of Indian words, India craft activity, facts on India and more! This book is also available in Spanish , German and Portuguese.
Ages: 4-8 years
8. Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar
My daughter cannot put this book down. The book narrates how a prince and his friend request the king for an opportunity to preside the court and smartly solve the trickiest problems of the villagers and give them a fair solution.These witty tales keep the readers hooked to the book and one can’t put the book down until the end of the story. The tales are based on Indian folklore. It’s surprising how common sense and thinking can give you the solution to a complex problem.I would highly recommend this book to everyone!
Ages: 6-9 years
9. The Drum: A Folktale from India by Rob Cleveland
This is the story about generosity and kindness. This folktale is about the adventure of a poor boy wanting his very own drum. When his mother brings home a magical stick given to her by a stranger, instead of using it to get himself a drum the boy decides to help the people he met along the way.In the end the people repay him with his very own drum as a sweet gesture thanking him for his good deeds.
Reading age: 5-8 years
10. Festival of Colors by Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal
Holi is one of the many festivals celebrated in India.This vibrant, colorful picture book is all about two young children Chintoo & Mintoo who are busy gathering flowers 🌸 to make the Holi powder to toss during the festival. On the day of Holi, they gather with their friends and family for a celebration of fresh start, forgiveness, love 💕 and of course fun!! With vibrant, colorful illustrations and simple text this book is a lovely read for everyone. It’s perfect for someone who wants to add diverse books for their collection.
Ages: 2-8 years
11. Tiny Travelers India Treasure Quest by Susie Jaramillo
Tiny travelers India treasure quest takes on a journey to what makes the country special while giving away few facts and information about the places. Kids also get to find the hidden treasures like statues, icons, etc along the way.This is a great book if you want to expose your kids to Indian culture and geography. The book is not only a fun read but also educational.The cute and colorful illustrations are a plus.
Ages: 3-8 years
12. Diwali (Celebrate the World) by Hannah Eliot
Learn about Diwali with this colorful board book. Diwali is a well known festival which is celebrated in India for five days.The book explains about the Diwali celebration without going much into the the religious aspect, which can be confusing for young kids who are not familiar with the Hindu culture.
For more detailed information about Diwali you can check this book out Amma, Tell Me About Diwali! by Bhakti Mathur. This is a perfect book to introduce the stories behind Diwali to your children. With colorful illustrations and rhyming text, it’s a great book to read during Diwali when your kids have a lot of questions about the holiday.
Ages: 2-8 years
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