Holi Hai!

Chitra Soundar's Holi Hai is a bright, bouncy picture book for 5 year olds about a little girl who's furious she didn't get her favourite colour.

What happens

It's two more sleeps to Holi, the spring festival of colours that Hindus celebrate, and Gauri's family are making their own gulal. That's the coloured powder everyone splashes and smears on each other on Holi day. Grandma holds out a bowl and each of them pulls out a colour.

Gauri gets red. She wanted yellow! (Her brother Aneesh got yellow, which doesn't help.)

So while everyone else gets busy, Gauri refuses to join in. Dad boils cabbage leaves to make blue. Mum grinds mint and spinach for green. Grandpa crushes beetroot into purple. Every time someone asks for help, Gauri says no.

Who hasn't had a sulk like that? It's lovely how the book lets her be cross without making a big fuss about it.

That night, around the bonfire, Grandpa tells the story of Holika and her nephew Prahlada, and how love turned out to be stronger than anger. Gauri goes quiet and has a think. Then she spots red petals drifting down from a tree, and remembers all the red things she loves.

No spoilers, but her idea is a very satisfying one.

The ending is a proper celebration, with everyone splashing colours in the garden and a feast of parathas, pulao and sweet gujiyas. You can almost smell it. At the back there's a short section about the festival, a glossary and ideas for making your own coloured water (with a grown-up's help).

If you've got a little one who feels things BIG, this is a gentle way to talk about letting anger go. It's also a lovely introduction to Holi, whether your family celebrates it or not.

What to read next

If they enjoy Gauri, try No Pets Allowed by the same author. It's a little longer, and Keva's temper flares when a grumpy hospital manager bans her grandpa's tortoise from the ward.