Published: 2023
Author: Namita Moolani Mehra | Illustrator: Kamala Nair
Genre: Children’s Picture Book / Cultural Fiction
Audience: Pre-K–Grade 3
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: The Light Within You
Themes: Diwali, Immigrant Experiences, Inner Strength, Generational Love, Belonging.
Publisher’s Summary
A celebration of family love and the light we share with the world.
Diya is excited to be going to India for Diwali, the Festival of Lights. That means she’ll get to spend time with Nani, her beloved grandma, who she hasn’t seen since her family moved from India. Now India is 7,850 miles away…
Once Diya arrives in India, she immediately feels at home with Nani. Together they go shopping at the bazaar and prepare for the festival. As Diya and Nani celebrate Diwali together, Diya’s heart soars. But all too soon, her trip will come to an end. Is there a way for Diya to take some of the light and magic of Diwali with her when she leaves?
Full Review
The story centers around Diya, a young girl who has recently moved to a new country and struggles deeply with fitting in at her new school. She finds herself in an environment where she feels completely out of place, noticing that no one else looks like her or shares her background. A trip back home to visit her grandmother in India changes everything. Nani acts as an emotional anchor, grounding Diya and reminding her of her unique worth. She teaches Diya that everyone possesses an inner light that shines from within, and that true friendship is built on who you are on the inside, not what you look like on the outside.
I highly recommend this picture book for any elementary school setting. It is an exceptional resource for students who are brand new to a school district or adapting to life in a completely new country. In diverse city classrooms where children from multiple global backgrounds often feel isolated or out of place, this book offers immediate comfort and validation. It serves as an accessible tool for starting classroom conversations about identity and building self-esteem, helping students realize that their inner traits are what peers will ultimately recognize and love them for. The text is an easy read, the illustrations are bright and engaging, and the book solidly meets high standards across all evaluation metrics.
🪔 The Cultural and Symbolic Significance of Diwali
To capture the deeper meaning of Diya’s emotional journey, students can explore how the physical rituals of Diwali mirror her internal growth.
- The Diya as a Metaphor: The diya (a small clay oil lamp) is the central symbol of the festival. Just as the physical lamp dispels the darkness of the night, Nani teaches Diya that her inner confidence can dispel the shadow of her loneliness at school.
- The Festival’s Message: Diwali celebrates the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. For a young immigrant child, the “darkness” can be the fear of isolation, while the “light” represents self-acceptance and cultural pride.
- The Distance (7,850 Miles): The specific physical distance mentioned in the text underscores the emotional span first-generation children must balance between their ancestral heritage and their immediate physical surroundings.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social Social-Emotional Learning (Self-Esteem & Welcoming Communities):
- Activity Idea: “My Inner Light Lanterns.” Give students a paper lantern outline. On the outside, have them draw elements of their culture or physical features. On the inside, have them write 3 to 4 descriptive words representing their “inner light” (e.g., kind, funny, creative, a good listener).
- Social Studies & Cultural Geography (Festivals of the World):
- Activity Idea: “Exploring Diwali Traditions.” Use the imagery in the book to study how Diwali is celebrated (bazaars, making sweets, lighting lamps, and creating colorful geometric sand art called rangoli).
- ELA & Creative Writing (The Anchor Person):
- Activity Idea: Nani helps Diya feel safe and loved. Have students write a short paragraph or draw a picture about their own “anchor person”—a family member, friend, or mentor who helps them feel grounded and happy when they are feeling nervous or sad.
- Interactive Classroom Community Building:
- Activity Idea: Use this book as a standard read-aloud at the start of the school year or whenever a new student joins the classroom. Use Diya’s experience to talk about practical ways the class can make sure new peers never feel like “no one can relate to them.”
