THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU

A young girl is excited to spend time with her grandmother over Diwali.

Diya’s family moved to the United States and is now planning a trip back to India to celebrate Diwali. Diya is looking forward to seeing her grandmother (Nani) after moving to a new town and struggling to make new friends. Her classmates don’t know much about Diwali and can’t understand why she is going away for three weeks. After a long trip of over 7,000 miles, Diya is reunited with Nani and is fully immersed in Diwali preparations. As they shop and make sweets, Diya shares stories of her new school with Nani. Sensing how hard things are for Diya, Nani advises her to believe in herself and encourages her to brighten the light within herself and dispel the darkness. Diya takes in her advice along with heaps of gifts for her friends on her return. The illustrations glow in a soft light that depicts Diya’s family in warm brown tones; colorful Diwali lanterns; bustling Indian bazaars; delectable sweets; and sparkly night skies lit up with fireworks. However, the story’s themes of alienation and belonging remain unexplored, and Diya’s focus on trying to win over her classmates overshadows her moments of joy and celebration. Though her grandmother’s advice is heartfelt, none of it feels memorable. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Luminous illustrations do the heavy lifting to light up the somber story.