India

Holi is a spring festival celebrated in India. Family, friends and neighbors toss powdered colors and water on each other (what fun is that!), and enjoy holiday foods, singing and dancing. (Picture book)

The Festival of Lights, Diwali, remembers Rama's victory over Ravana. In this retelling of the Ramayana, Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and his wife Sita are exiled to the forest. When Sita is kidnapped by the demon Ravana, Rama calls upon the monkey king, Hanuman, to rescue Sita. (Chapter book)

Count your way through traditions and delicious treats of Diwali.

Three, four rangoli on the floor.
Five, six, light the diya wicks.
Seven, eight jalebis on a plate.

Rangoli are designs made with chalk or flowers. Diya are oil lamps. Jalebis are a sweet fried dessert. (Picture book)

Illustrated biography of Mohandas Gandhi, the great nationalist and spiritual leader of India, who championed independence from the British, aided the poor, and unified the nation. (Illustrated chapter book)

Excellent introduction to the Taj Mahal and life in the Mogul kingdom, Agra at the time of Shah Jahan, building the tomb for his beloved wife, plus hidden gem facts – three globes on top of the dome represent humans, animals, and angels. (Chapter book)

Also richly illustrated picture book: Taj Mahal

In a Bengal tiger reserve on the Sunderban islands, a tiger cub has escaped, and a wealthy poacher seeks to capture it. Young Neel and his sister are determined to find the cub first – they know the island better than anyone. Where would a tiger cub hide? (Chapter book)

True story of Manjhi, who lives in a poor village on the other side of a mountain, without access to doctors, schools, markets. But Manjhi has an idea – to build a road through the mountain, with only a hammer and chisel. And he did it, though it took 22 years! (Picture book)

Go for a fun ride on a tuk tuk through a town in India. People jump on and off, squish in together, stop for a moo-moo-cow, sip chai (tea) and munch on poppa-doppa-doms, fireworks go pop pop pop. Tuk tuk rides in India are just like this! (Picture book)

A girl searches for a special gift for her mother at the outdoor marketplace. So many choices – orange spices and marigolds for a garland, blue sari fabric and bangles, pink lotus and sweets soaked in ghee, plus photos of Chennai market, and notes about markets around the world. Celebration of color! (Picture book)

Eight sparkling tales with Prince Veera and his best friend Suku – The Case of the Greedy Moneylender, All's Well with Mango Pickles, Gray Elephants and Five Fools, Who Stole the Laddus? and more. (Illustrated chapter book)

More stories: A Sliver of the Moon and a Shard of Truth

Travel with Sejal, her mother and grandmother to the southern tip of India. They visit temples and extended family, take a boat ride down winding river, shop for bangles and bright clothes, eat delicious food (dosas with potatoes and onions, lemon pickle, sugar and ghee), and arrive at Kanyakumari, where three oceans meet. Beautifully illustrated! (Picture book)

Riding the trains, at a stop, mother and daughter get in line for chai (tea). The chaiwala makes their tea - grinding spices, adding tea leaves and sugar, pouring the steaming tea back and forth. Ahhh. (Picture book)

Tip: On our travels in India, we ordered many cups of tea – just like this book!

Spend a day in India. “Namaste!” Wake up to song of a myna bird, it's hot and sticky, time for a bath. After getting dressed, kala tika dot on face for good luck. Breakfast is dal (lentils or beans) and rice. Walking along, count a cow, birds, mango trees in Hindi. Play hide and seek with Ma's beautiful red, blue, gold, and green sari. At the end of the day, Ma sings a sweet lullaby, good night! (Board book)

Kids can read for themselves about India, home to more than a billion people with many different languages. Spend the day with Nisha, meet her family, go to school, learn about the history of India, British colonialism and independence, play cricket and eat typical Indian snacks and food. (Easy reader)

India today from A to Z, " A is for aam (mango), B is for bandar (monkey), C is for chai" - colorful collages and fun facts about people and places, food, wildlife, music, sports, stories, languages, yoga, and more. (Picture book)