Having to raise my brother and I outside of India my parents had to make extra efforts to teach us about our culture, language and religion. When you live in India, you just know when the festive season is around the corner, shops start putting out their finest pieces, it’s blasted across televisions and street signs, families start hosting big dinners and mothers get busy in the kitchen. Due to the zero commercial influence in the States, my parents would have to make up for it at home by making it a big deal. They would tell us colorful stories from their childhood, cook our favorite foods, and get us involved in fun and festive help tasks. My dad had a shelf in his library dedicated to Indian books and comics, just so he could teach us the culture in a ‘fun’ way. Years later I still find myself indulging in those books every time I go home to visit my parents.
Even before Little Mirchi was born I started a running list of Indian inspired books that I wanted to add to our home library for her to learn and read from. My hope is that she too will learn and hold on to the memories the way I cherish the books my Dad collected for us when we were kids. Sharing some of my favorite books that teach children about Indian culture, festivals and language below. I’ll be adding to this list as I come across more Indian inspired fun reads. If there are any children’s books in your collection that you think should be on the list, please share in the comments section!
- Amma, Tell Me About Holi
- Amma, Tell Me About Krishna
- Amma, Tell Me About Diwali
- Amma, Tell Me About Ramayana
- Amma, Tell Me About Ganesha
- Amma, Tell Me How Krishna Defeated Kansa
- Amma, Tell Me How Krishna Fought The Demons
8. Diwali (Bright Baby Touch & Feel)
9. The Drum: A Folktale from India
10. Indian Children’s Favorite Stories
14. Mina Goes to India: Mina Chali Bharat
15. Lots of Lights
16. Rani and the Safari Surprise
17. The Diwali Gift
19. The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow
21. The Big Poster Book of Hindu Deities
22. Chaat and Sweets
23. Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh
24. Diwali: A Cultural Adventure
25. Lighting a Lamp: A Diwali Story
**Added after original publish**
31. The Story of Little Babaji
32. Chachaji’s Cup
34. The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story
35. India ABC’s
30 Children’s Books on Indian Culture & Festivals
Nisha, thanks! This is a fabulous collection. I’m going to try and buy these on my next trip home.
Brilliant post. I’ve bookmarked your blog. 🙂
Thanks Monica, you can buy these all via Amazon.
Where can I.buy these books
Hi, I live in Melbourne and would like to have my lo read these as a child so he can learn about our culture. Is there a way to buy these books. How much do they cost?
Neha
Hi Neha I have linked up all the books to Amazon
What an awesome list! I shared this on my FB page!
Thanks so much Veens!
You are welcome to enjoy our Indian adventure storybook app for the iPad- “The Amazing Train”
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazing-train-where-adventure/id512502528?mt=8
Nice list! One can buy all these and many more on http://www.kitaabworld.com!