Lights For Gita (Paperback)

by Rachna Gilmore (Author), Alice Priestley (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In her new home in the West, far from the warmth and familiarity of her native New Delhi, Gita anticipates celebrating the Hindu festival Divali-"Fireworks, lots of them-that's what Divali was all about." Surely such a light show will dispel the November gloom. But as Gita prepares for the holiday, "needles of ice stung the windows." In the freezing rain expectations turn to disappointments. Friends cancel their visits and, even more grievously, Papa must postpone the fireworks. As the girl compares the day with her memories of joyfully observed traditions, Mummy reminds her, "Divali is really about filling the darkness with light. Fireworks can't do it for us. We must do it ourselves." After they light the diyas (small pots of mustard oil) at each window, the storm causes an electrical failure, and Gita's home seems the only place of light in the vast darkness. The unexpected splendor of ice and dancing light gives Gita a meaningful new perspective. Accompanied by Priestly's soft, warm-hued watercolors, Gilmore's smooth prose and thoughtful imagery invite readers into Gita's not-so-foreign world. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. In a picture-book first published in Canada, an immigrant child from India celebrates the Hindu holiday of Divali for the first time in her new home. An introductory note describes the holiday as a festival of lights celebrated with sweets, parties, storytelling, and fireworks. In the November gloom of her new apartment, Gita longs for her extended family in New Delhi and the warmth she's left behind. She cries when an ice storm knocks out the power in all the buildings on her street; but with her parents and her best friend, she lights the diyas for the festival, and she comes to see that the lights of Divali can beat the darkness outside and the sadness within. Priestley's delicately shaded illustrations in bright colors show an Indian child and her family making a home. Words and pictures weave the particular holiday traditions into a universal story of disappointment and hope. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 24 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884481514
• ISBN-13: 978-0884481515
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #633,775 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good to read to school. Nice introduction., May 3, 2002

By	Lady "lady-in-nj" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

A nice story with illustrations although it does not give the kind of detail that my children & I crave. I paraphrased it, using the pictures, for a group of 3 - 6 year olds at school and they liked it. An easy introduction to Diwali for them. Then I showed them a few things, including a clay oil lamp and we had Indian sweets. For pictures of a more traditional celebration and those details, use the 2 page spread in "Children Just Like Me: Celebrations!".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dispelling our Darkness: Lights For Gita, March 10, 2007

By	Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast "... (Canada) - See all my reviews

This carefully crafted tale of homesickness and hope combines the universal experience of long-awaited plans foiled by weather with the grief of a young girl pining for her far off home. This book leaves us with the powerful insight that its up to each of us to fill our darkness with light.