This year the Hindu festival of Diwali is from Nov. 5-9. Today marks its beginning. I first heard about the festival from watching a National Film Board film called Lights for Gita in their Talespinners Collection (a series of short films for 5-9 year olds.) In this story, eight year old Gita, who lives in Montreal is excited about celebrating Diwali in her new country, but something unexpected happens — an ice storm knocks out power in the city. What will Gita do? Will this holiday celebrated with lights now be ruined for her? Check out the DVD by ordering it, or finding it at your local library!
PaperTigers with its focus on India this issue has a number of book suggestions about Diwali given in a revisited Personal Views article by Chad Stephenson. Pooja Makhijani also refers to Diwali in her Personal Views article entitled “A String of Bright Lights.” She mentions her Diwali book picks in a post she did for the children’s lit b
log Chicken Spaghetti awhile back. In her post, she mentions how in northern India, Diwali is a celebration of the homecoming of Ram whose story can be found in her suggested picture book title Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India by Jessica Souhami. I found Souhami’s book at my local library; it was a bilingual one in Somali and English! The story of Rama is found in the Hindu text The Ramayana which is a 24, 000 couplet poem written in Sanskrit by Valmiki around 300 B.C. My daughter’s view of this ancient story of Rama was rather quaint; she said she liked stories where the good guy (Rama) and a bad guy (Ravanna) fight it out over a woman (Sita) — although in this case, the bad guy is terrifying ten-headed demon!
Hope you have a happy Diwali this year! Poetry Friday is hosted by JoAnn at Teaching Authors.
Hi Erick, and Hi Silvio!!
good to know you are having fun, I just hooked with your dayly posts,
Wow!! on Monday will be the great day, the best for you, Julie and the greatest welcome for the baby!!
Ale
Thanks Ale! We're really looking forward to it but it's still a huge mystery to us.
The anticipation must be building! When you hold that sweet little creature you will be in total awe, there is nothing like it. You'll think a little alien has taken over because you'll be so captivated. Takes me back. Hold those precious moments.
Thanks Vickie!
Hi.
hey! lol
Wow, what a great moment in your life !! I wish you all the best!:)
Thanks Glaucia!
Congratulations Eric. I hear having a child makes you experience a love like no other. My best to you and Julie. You have fantastic work as always. ~Priscilla~
Thanks Priscilla!
Really, how can you work so much, so fast, and soooooooooo well?
Warmest welcome for the baby!
Wow!
Thank you so much, Teresa!!
Nice list.
Well, good for you on planning ahead. I hope that you are able to just coast for a while and enjoy the new arrival.
That is so cool.
Brings back memories.
Thanks Frank!
Coasting's a great way to put it. I'm just working on stuff I enjoy. feels fantastic.
Congrats Eric! Glad to see you wrapped up all your projects in time to loosen up a bit before the big day!
I bet Monday can't come soon enough for you and your wife, huh? Congratulations, sir!
Thanks Brian!
Actually, I secretly hope the baby waits until Halloween...
I have just discovered your blog and am a fan your work. Congrats on your recent successes and have a wonderful and exciting week with arrival of the new babe!-I wish you and your wife good sleeps for the next few nights.
HI Eric! Thanks for visiting and meeting through Jim Gurney's blog. I am awestruck by your beautiful work and I feel extremely humble by your compliment on my pics. I Do love that Gurney blog- he is a great artist and an unselfish teacher. I went to our little community Rose Parade in Tyler, Texas today to sketch annonomously and I was so overwhelmed by the images, I didn't collect a tenth of what I should have, I appreciate the challenge Jim gives us to look at the real world.
Man, you're great! I'll keep watching your blog and see you on gurneyjourney!- John
Thank you so much Lisa! I really appreciate your kind words and I'm really glad you found me. Wonderful work on your blog, can't wait to see more.
Wow! John! I'm blown away by your kind words, thank you so much. I'll be back to your site often, the sheer invention there was wonderful.
~ Oh BabY~
I am so excited for you both~
Big love coming your way~
~Amy~
What fun. Our well wishes are with you and your wife!