5 children’s books to read this summer vacation

Hello Readers! With summer vacation just around the corner, keeping kids engaged can be quite the challenge. Drawing from personal experience, I know the struggle! But not to worry, because Here are 5 children’s books to read this summer vacation that promises fun, adventures, and important messages ensuring an enriching and entertaining reading experience for the young ones.

Disclaimer – Many thanks to author and publisher for review copies.
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My Little Book of Holi by Ashwitha Jayakumar

Synopsis

This charming board book highlights the customs, traditions and stories behind the most vibrant and colourful festival, Holi.

Explore the chaos of colours, soak in the sight and sounds, experience the magic of rituals, food and celebrations, and discover how festivals bring families and friends together.

This series of charmingly illustrated board books introduces kids,
to customs, traditions and stories behind important festivals like Holi and Diwali
Explore the buzz of activities and rituals and discover how festivals connect us to our roots
Dotted with interesting facts about each festival as well as an interactive seek-and-find activity.
Suitable for bedtime reading and parent-child association.
Perfect way to familiarize young readers with India’s rich cultural fabric.
These books offer a fun and enjoyable introduction to timeless myths and festivals for modern kids.
A must have to impart important life lessons
Collect all books in the series!

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK

AGE APPROPRIATE: Written in simple language to make reading easy for readers 3 and up
STURDY AND DURABLE: Perfect for learning and interacting with the format
RELEVANT TOPICS: Important and topical themes that would resonate with kids
PERFECTLY SIZED BOOKS: Easy, convenient and handy format
BRIGHT AND FUN PICTURES: To keep your young ones interested and engaged
A PERFECT GIFT SET: For a holistic learning experience

Review

That synopsis describes the book perfectly. My Little Book of Holi is extraordinary colourful book about one of the most celebrated festival in India and ideal book to introduce children to the festival.

Written in simple English with less text and more illustrations makes it perfect for kids age 3 or more. As my kid is 5 she could read and understand the text pretty well.

I loved the book is how author introduces kids to the custom and tradition of the festival with what everyone do on this holiday, how people celebrate it, and why the festival is celebrated.

The narrative of Prahalad, Hiranyakashipu, and Holika adds depth, connecting children to the rich history and mythology of Indian culture.

Illustrations are beautiful, bursting with colors that not only capture the essence of Holi but also but also shows diversity and inclusivity.

I also loved inclusion of interactive activities for children at the end of the book that my kid enjoyed and made her pay attention to pictures in the book.

Overall, My Little Book of Holi is cute and colourful book about celebration of Holi for children.

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

My Little Book of Diwali by Ashwitha Jayakumar

Synopsis

This charming board book explores the customs, traditions and stories behind Diwali―the most sparkling and colourful Hindu festival.

Explore the lamp-lit splendour, soak in the sight and sounds, experience the magic of rituals, food and celebrations, and discover how festivals bring families and friends together.

This series of charmingly illustrated board books introduces kids to customs, traditions and stories behind important festivals like Holi and Diwali
Explore the buzz of activities and rituals and discover how festivals connect us to our roots
Dotted with interesting facts about each festival as well as an interactive seek-and-find activity.
Suitable for bedtime reading and parent-child association.
Perfect way to familiarize young readers with India’s rich cultural fabric.
These books offer a fun and enjoyable introduction to timeless myths and festivals for modern kids.
A must have to impart important life lessons
Collect all books in the series!

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK:

AGE APPROPRIATE: Written in simple language to make reading easy for readers 3 and up
STURDY AND DURABLE: Perfect for learning and interacting with the format
RELEVANT TOPICS: Important and topical themes that would resonate with kids
PERFECTLY SIZED BOOKS: Easy, convenient and handy format
BRIGHT AND FUN PICTURES: To keep your young ones interested and engaged
A PERFECT GIFT SET: For a holistic learning experience

Review

My Little Book of Diwali is another gem in this series that introduces children to another most celebrated festival of India, Diwali. It is also one of my favorite festival so I really enjoyed reading it with my kid who shares my love and joy for firecrackers.

Captivating illustrations and written in easy and plain language author masterfully introduce kids to how the festival celebrated, how long it is celebrated and why with narration of timeless tale of Rama and Sita’s adventure during their exile and their return.

Like Book of Holi, illustrations here too show all inclusivity and diversity and perfectly captures the essence of the festival and Indian culture.

Overall, My Little Book of Holi is delightful and vibrant book about celebration of Diwali for children.

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Harlee Learns To Hop by Avery Lee

Synopsis

A picture book for children 3-7 years old.

Harlee is a normal grasshopper except for the fact that she’s too afraid to hop. This colorfully illustrated and educational storybook will take your child on a fun adventure, help your child improve their reading comprehension skills, and help your child learn about the importance of meditation.

This is a book in the Odd Insects series. Odd Insects is an educational picture book series about different fictional insects and their many adventures overcoming stereotypes, learning, and growing.

Review

Harlee Learns to Hop is cute and lovely story of Harlee, the grasshopper who is just like other normal grasshopper but she is afraid to hop. in fear of falling she doesn’t try to hop until he remembers something her grandmother said that helps her overcome her fear.

While illustrations are lovely, the picture of squirrel was off-putting. Even my kid pointed, it looks like a cat. Apart from that miss (either in text or illustration), the book has a good message of taking your own time to learn, importance of practices and skills like meditation and yoga.

overall, Harlee Learns to Hop is a delightful and heartwarming story with good message and pretty illustrations.

Book Links – https://www.brioney.com/hop

I Won’t Wash My Hair by Aparna Kapur

Synopsis

In Divya’ s hair, you will find pencils, peanuts and paintbrushes! All because Divya refuses to wash her hair. But how long can she go on like this?

Review

Divya hated washing her hair. When her parents departed for a two-week trip, leaving her in the care of her Aunt Alpa, she seized the opportunity to drop the task was washing hair altogether. But how long could she evade this responsibility?

Turns out long time! As days turned into weeks and her neglect turned to unsettling point. Strands became entangled with various debris, ants and what not oozing unpleasant odor that excluded her from her peers and friends and even led to out of the class. Yet, Divya discovered a newfound freedom in neglect, enjoying the time she got from not washing her hair.

One thing I loved most in this book is illustrations. They are beautiful. While I appreciate the relatable portrayal of struggle of washing and maintaining their hair many girls face, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the lack of emphasis on the importance of hygiene. I thought at the end Divya would come to understand the importance of hair care but i was shocked by the ending.

After finishing the book I had to tell my kid this is no solution. From what I see it kind of tells kids if you don’t want to do something, remove that thing from existence. Okay maybe that is too far but still the conclusion isn’t something positive we want kids to learn.

I had pointed out implications of poor hair care to my kid. While I disagreed with the message conveyed, my child’s reaction to what happens when you don’t wash hair (as she loves things neat and clean) and she would have to do what the girl did in the end (she doesn’t like cutting hairs at all), I didn’t have to worry about the books inappropriate message. So that is something!

Overall, I Won’t Wash My Hair is beautifully illustrated book about the struggles children face in adhering to daily routines. I think reading this book with adult around and having meaningful conversations can convey appropriate lesson from its narrative.

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

The Tale of a Naughty Prank by Anand Neelakantan

Synopsis

Do you know how Narada pranked the world’s richest man? Everyone knows that when the mischievous sage Narada is around, trouble can’t be far behind. And this time, it follows him into the palace of Kubera, the god of wealth, who dreams of getting richer. Tricked by the master prankster Narada, Kubera decides to host Ganesha’s birthday party. And the rest is…Narayana, Narayana!

This humour-filled tale with charming illustrations—the second in the chapter book series by bestselling author Anand Neelakantan—is packed with action, fun and dollops of laughter, making it a delightful read.

Review

The Tale of a Naughty Prank is humorous mythical fiction in which world’s prank master, a mischievous sage, Narada plays prank on the world’s richest man.

The introduction of Narada is captivating with his innocent demeanor in contrast to his knack for orchestrating elaborate and mischievous pranks and how they turned out teaching lessons to people it is targeted at.

The story unfolds with Narada setting his sights on Kubera, the king of Yakshas and the God of wealth, whose insatiable greed drives him to yearn greater riches. As the plot progress, Narada’s scheme not only traps Kubera but also Ganesh, the beloved son of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

While Narada’s schemes are humorous and witty, his carefully laid plans take unexpected turns, leading him to seek helps from God Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He feared the wrath of Goddess Parvati for involving her precious son into prank but to his benefit the prank ended up teaching lesson to both Kubera and Ganesh showcasing the transformative power of mischief.

Throughout the book, vibrant illustrations breathe life into the fantastic mythical world, enhancing the story’s whimsical charm. The story delivers valuable lessons on the importance of sharing abundance, maintaining a balanced diet, importance of moderation and consequences of excess.

Overall, The Tale of a Naughty Prank is a delightful blend of humor, fantasy, and moral reflection with lively illustrations. It offers readers of all ages a great escape into a world of laughter and wisdom.”

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

5 children's books to read this summer vacation that promises fun, adventures, and important messages. #Childrensbook #bookstoreadthsisummer #summerreadingforkids Check out full review by following link ⬇️ Share on X

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