Holi hai!
(Book)

Gauri's family is getting ready for Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that celebrates spring and new beginnings. When it is time for everyone to close their eyes and choose their gulal--the colors they will make--Gauri becomes upset because she gets red instead of her favorite color, yellow. As her family works to create their colors out of natural ingredients, such as leaves and flowers, Gauri doesn't want to help. But when Grandpa shares a legend of Holi about the evil Holika and her kind nephew, Gauri sees in Holika's anger similarities to her own. Inspired by the legend and using the natural world around her, Gauri finally creates her gulal. Soundar's clear, concise text provides an excellent introduction to Holi and its significance, as well as a beautiful story about love and forgiveness, making it a great choice for reading alone or sharing with family. Back matter includes additional information about Holi, a glossary, and ideas on how to make gulal at home.

K-Gr 3--The day before Holi, everyone in Gauri's family works to make their holiday colors from natural sources. Gauri is upset when the color she picks from the bowl isn't her favorite. When she sulks, her grandfather tells the legend of how Prahlada defeated the evil of anger with his love. Gauri relinquishes her anger and celebrates. Brilliant pink, jade, purple, green, red, and yellow saturate every page. Just as intense as the colors depicted, the emotions featured--love, anger, forgiveness, joy--vividly shine. Back matter explains the Hindu festival, words that may be unfamiliar to some readers, and recipes to make colored water (not powder). VERDICT Shelve this vibrant book alongside Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal's Festival of Colors or Rina Singh's Holi Colors.--Patricia D. Lothrop

It's almost Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, and Gauri can hardly wait. Gauri's family announces that, this year, each family member will make their own gulal--or colored powder--out of natural ingredients. Gauri's father, mother, grandmother, grandfather, and brother choose a slip of paper from a bowl to determine which color they will be assigned. When Gauri closes her eyes to pick her paper, she becomes, unlike the rest of her family, furious: instead of yellow, which is what she longed for, she ends up with red. While everyone else in Gauri's household gets busy using vegetables, herbs, and spices to create their assigned colors, Gauri stomps around the house and yard feeling upset. She is determined not to participate until her grandfather recounts one of the stories behind Holi, which is about a demoness who unsuccessfully tries to wield the fire of her anger against her nephew, Prahlada. On hearing the story, Gauri wonders whom her rage serves and whether she has the strength to let go of the "anger in her heart." The book's illustrations are beautifully textured and artfully designed. While the text's underlying message is well intentioned, the author's choice to frame Gauri's overwhelming emotion as anger, rather than jealousy, makes the story read more like a misplaced condemnation of South Asian girls' rage than a story about mindfulness. A splendidly illustrated picture book that misses the emotional mark. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Gauri's family is getting ready for Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that celebrates spring and new beginnings. When it is time for everyone to close their eyes and choose their gulal—the colors they will make—Gauri becomes upset because she gets red instead of her favorite color, yellow. As her family works to create their colors out of natural ingredients, such as leaves and flowers, Gauri doesn't want to help. But when Grandpa shares a legend of Holi about the evil Holika and her kind nephew, Gauri sees in Holika's anger similarities to her own. Inspired by the legend and using the natural world around her, Gauri finally creates her gulal. Soundar's clear, concise text provides an excellent introduction to Holi and its significance, as well as a beautiful story about love and forgiveness, making it a great choice for reading alone or sharing with family. Back matter includes additional information about Holi, a glossary, and ideas on how to make gulal at home. Grades K-2. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

K-Gr 3—The day before Holi, everyone in Gauri's family works to make their holiday colors from natural sources. Gauri is upset when the color she picks from the bowl isn't her favorite. When she sulks, her grandfather tells the legend of how Prahlada defeated the evil of anger with his love. Gauri relinquishes her anger and celebrates. Brilliant pink, jade, purple, green, red, and yellow saturate every page. Just as intense as the colors depicted, the emotions featured—love, anger, forgiveness, joy—vividly shine. Back matter explains the Hindu festival, words that may be unfamiliar to some readers, and recipes to make colored water (not powder). VERDICT Shelve this vibrant book alongside Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal's Festival of Colors or Rina Singh's Holi Colors.—Patricia D. Lothrop