The publishing industry continues to roll out books for children at a rapid pace, given the varied opportunities that the age group offers, from toddlers to tweens, and teenagers. Often, in this hurriedly compiled template, facts and figures tend to get glossed over, or disseminated in a half-hearted way. This reviewer has come across countless such titles, especially in the curated story/idea format that lose their sparkle and wow factor as soon as you starting turning the pages. 

With peak festive season still to arrive for most of India, Fun with Festivals (Hachette India) by Subhamoy Das and Sulaiman Ahmad is a handy, well-researched guidebook for the young, curious reader. The contributors manage to pack a punch with myths, facts and legends from festivals, ranging from the obvious (Diwali, Eid, Christmas) to the relatively lesser documented ones (Lohri, Onam, Navroz). Our favourite parts are the DIY activities that follow each chapter on that particular festival. The illustrations by Shamika Chaves give the book’s personality a certain vibrancy that softens the academic, studious edge that could have taken over, and possibly appeared as an intimidating read to some.