Festival of Colors

It is spring and Chintoo and Mintoo are excited; it is time to prepare for Holi, the Indian festival of colors. Together, the brother and sister roam their verdant garden, collecting the flowers they will turn into brightly colored powders. “They gather hibiscus flowers, because hibiscus flowers make red.” Orchids, marigolds, and irises come next. Chintoo and Mintoo dry the flowers before separating the petals and finally pressing them into powder. Once their petal powders are complete, it’s time to celebrate. All dressed in white, the siblings join their parents, friends, and neighbors outside where the powders will be tossed about. The Sehgals–a mother-and-son duo–use short, repetitive sentences and color-coded words, which nicely pair with Harrison’s genial scenes emphasizing the vibrant, sunny colors of the festival and the delight of getting ready with family. This lively, informational read reinforces primary and secondary colors and showcases this jovial Hindu festival as a time to celebrate fresh starts, friendship, and forgiveness, and have lots of fun in the process. An authors’ note offers more context. – Anita Lock–Booklist “Nov 1, 2017 “

Surishtha Sehgal was a university professor for many years and now enjoys reading to children during story time. She is the founder of a nonprofit organization that promotes social responsibility among students, and she serves on the boards of two universities and a national arts center. Surishtha and her son, Kabir Sehgal, are a mother-son writing team whose books include Festival of Colors, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, and Seven Samosas and the New York Times bestselling A Bucket of Blessings, both illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong. She lives in Atlanta.

Kabir Sehgal started his class newspaper in second grade and has been writing ever since. A bestselling author of several books, he is also a jazz bassist and Grammy Award–winning producer. Kabir and his mother, Surishtha Sehgal, are a mother-son writing team whose books include Festival of Colors, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, and Seven Samosas and the New York Times bestselling A Bucket of Blessings, both illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong. He lives in Atlanta.

Vashti Harrison, author and illustrator of the bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, is an artist, author, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She earned her MFA in film and video from California Institute of the Arts, where she snuck into animation and illustration classes to learn from Disney and DreamWorks legends. There she rekindled a love for drawing and painting. Now she uses her love for both film and illustration to craft beautiful stories for children.

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