This was so immensely beautiful, from the artwork to the story, I couldn't help but cry a little over all the love expressed on the page and in the words. This is exactly the story I wish I had been able to read as a child, so I can't wait for everyone else to read this.

This was the cutest little picture book ever! I love how the author chose the perspective of innocence and pure love of Ayesha to show us the very hard and heartbreaking reality when it comes to the acceptance of any form of queerness in Indian culture and society.

There is just something so beautiful and devastating about how easy it is for Ayesha to love and accept her didi for who she is, and how determined these strangers that the baraat meets on their way to the venue are to stop something that, for all intents and purposes, has LITERALLY nothing to do with their lives.

There's so many problems with how this country currently views its people - with what it considers right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate, valueable and dispensible. A culture that prided itself on acceptance is now become one that is intent on segregating. In a time like this, I am so grateful for books like Ritu weds Chandni which exist with stubborn hope, which exist to instill faith, which exist to teach love, and acceptance and joy.

Also, like, the artwork in here is absolutely gorgeous!! I really hope this book finds its way into the hands of curious children who will, hopefully, grow up with one less prejudice to unlearn.

The story is about a little girl who is excited to go to her cousin sister's wedding. When she reaches there, she realises that her relatives are not there. Her cousin, Ritu deedi is going to marry her girlfriend, Chandni. Not everyone agrees to that. They consider it wrong. This little girl stands for her cousin and speaks up for her.

This little girl realises that it is ok to marry whoever you want. Whoever you marry, the important thing is to have love, trust and respect in the relationship. Even though some relatives and neighbours are against their relationship, Ritu and Chandni still married each other.

I really liked this story. It is different from other stories that I read. It also had some lovely illustrations.

It is so short and cute at the same time discussing the attitude of people towards to same sex marriage. I heard about this book from fellow bookstagrammers, and decided to pick it up.
This centers around the marriage of Ritu and Chandni, seen through the eyes of a little girl Ayesha. As from the synopsis "It showcases the power of young voices standing up against prejudice and bigotry", which perfectly sums up the intention behind the plot. I loved Ayesha who sees everything without any corruption of grown up minds, but still manages to act grown up supporting the wedding of her cousin.
The illustrations are a treat to the eyes.

A beautifully illustrated picture book, with a sweet story that highlights issues surrounding LGBTQA+ couples through the eyes of Ayesha. I loved the atmosphere it conjured with the lyricism of the words, as well as the use of colour and perspective. I only wish it had been a little longer, as it ended quite abruptly, though I loved the endpages with the details and pictures from the wedding.

I truly adore this picture book.
A heartwarming tale about acceptance, about tolerance, about family and above all, love.
It shows how simple love is when you truly love.
Wonderful book for all of the kids out there :)

Also, LOVE LOVE LOVE the culture showcase in this book! So vibrant!

Ritu Weds Chandni is a very sweet children's book, filled with beautiful drawings and even more beautiful sentiments. I'm sure young readers will have lots of questions to ask their parents, relatives or friends when they read this.

A young girl is excited to see her favourite cousin marry her girlfriend and can't understand why a lot of the family are not going to the wedding, or why the neighbours seem so angry that the two brides will be riding to their wedding on horses with a procession of musicians and dancers.

Of course, the book is still fantasy for India where homosexuality has only been decriminalised quite recently. I wonder if parents, aunts and uncles are ready to have these discussions with their children. I hope they are, and I'm sure this book will help a lot. It may well sell better among the Hindu diaspora living in countries where same-sex marriage is legal.

I wish the author and publishers all the best with this beautiful little book. Only by letting children decide how they want to define 'normal' can we hope for them to grow up and change their worlds.

Thank you to Netgalley for a review copy.

As a kid (that would be the late 90s and early 2000s) I never once read a book representing same-sex couples and I'm so happy that stories like this one are out there now.

This book starts a much needed discussion and does so through the eyes of a child. All Ayesha wants is for her cousin Ritu to be happy on her wedding day and doesn't understand why others wouldn't. As children, we don't care if our cousin is marring a man or a woman, all we want is for her to marry someone who loves her and makes her happy. Culture, traditions and overall expectations then turn that around as we grow up and it's somehow more important for a woman to marry a man than for her to marry the person she loves.

Let's try to not to grow up in that regard and continue viewing the world the way a child does, without the influence of what society deems right or wrong.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.

LGBTQIA, India, Hinduism, wedding, intolerance, family, family-dynamics*****

What a wonderful book! The story is meaningful anywhere, but the beauty of the illustrations is a joy to behold! Cousin Ritu weds her girlfriend amid opposition by intolerant people and those people are totally routed by young Ayesha who knows that the brides deserve to have the wonderful ceremony they want.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Yali Books and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley. Thank you!

I cried while reading this book. The illustrations are gorgeous and this story captures the bittersweet experiences that many queer couples have with milestones like weddings or children. I am so grateful every time I see representation of queer individuals in the cultures and communities that are meaningful to them.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really sweet book with a powerful message geared towards young children. The art is beautiful and I can't wait to be able to share with more people.

This is the best children’s book I’ve read in a Long Long Time. It’s beautiful and meaningful and also so fun. I highly recommend it for all families to open up conversations about queer couples and also different cultures.

This is a gorgeous short story for kids. It highlights the pure honesty in a child's mindset, as all Ayesha wants is to see her cousin enjoy her wedding day. Not only does this give great representation to the LGBTQI+ community in a part of the world where this is still largely deemed unacceptable, it aims to normalise these practices and remove prejudice. Furthermore, the illustrations are beautiful and really help to highlight the bold beautifulness of an Indian wedding.

I can't wait to read this to the little kids in my life!

Thank you, Netgalley for this. :)

Oh my gosh! This is such a beautiful little book with such an important message and so much more in its 35 pages! It shows that homophobia is instilled in people via society and that only love is natural. Children are the purest and the most non-judgmental of us and they understand the phrase 'love is love' way better than any adult ever could.

I loved the illustrations in this and the way the author has lifted up this subject in a simple and innocent manner that is even more hard-hitting than usual. Publication houses in India ready to publish propaganda but not this important book, and it makes me so angry! But the point of this book is to spread love and that's exactly what I feel as I read this! So much warmth and tears and happiness!

Highly recommend!

*Ritu Weds Chandi* is a lovely book about a sapphic wedding, the consequences it may have for some people, and a feisty little kid who just wants everyone to be happy, especially her cousin Ritu.

Ayesha is super excited about her cousin's wedding, but she soon discovers a new situation that she doesn't yet understand. And this situation isn't two women getting married, as some people would expect - she doesn't understand why she doesn't see her whole family having fun, like she has in past family weddings she has attended.

I think this type of children's book is super important, as you see this kid not even questioning same-sex marriage, even if it's something that she isn't used to seeing, and fighting to make it happen. Obviously, it is a simplified version of real-life homophobia, and things get solved pretty easily. But that can easily open up a conversation between the reader and the adults in their life, and ease them into the bigger issues of the world.

Aside from that, the use of Hindi words immerses you in the world and the culture a little bit, and we all need a little bit of that to get to know and understand other people and cultures. Finally, the art was gorgeous, and I loved the details on the clothing, as well as the panels with the big horses.

"It means the world to me that you are here today."

Ritu Weds Chandni is an LGBTQ+ children's illustrated book by Ameya Narveankar which was such a joy to read. As the author pointed out, growing up we didn't get to read books on same sex marriage and do they took it upon themselves to write their own book explaining to children that even though society does not approve, love is love is love is love.
I love the way the illustrations were done and how the story was put forth to show that yes people who do not approve will always try to stop something they don't agree with, but love and happiness do not depend on what society thinks, it depends on a person's own happiness.
Because this is an Indian (Hindu) wedding, there are done words that may not make sense to a non-Hindi speaker do the author has provided a glossary to all the Hindi words. The author has also written a little piece at the end explaining why they felt this book was a necessity for today's kids.

Ritu Weds Chandi is a beautiful children's book about a same-sex couples wedding day told from the perspective of a child, Ayesha. Ayesha is attending her cousins' wedding but she doesn't understand why most of her family doesn't come, she also doesn't understand why the neighbors are being so mean to them. This book is a lovely story about a child's compassion and loves no matter the circumstance. The illustrations are beautiful. I liked how the first page there is a spot to put your child's name in the form of the wedding invitation. I also really liked the last few pages of the story that just included illustrations that really represented the culture. At the end of the book, there is a pronunciation guide with definitions of the Hindu terms used in the book. There is a scene where the neighbors are "saying hurtful words" to the brides as well as spraying them with hoses, depending on the age you are reading this to this may cause questions. As of this review, same-sex marriages are not legally recognized in India and have only recently been decriminalized so it's important for books like this to be published. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I feel like it's so important for books with representation to be published for younger children. This a great multicultural book with LGBTQ+ representation that I would definitely recommend. As the author said, "let's inspire our children to stand up for what is compassionate and just."

The book is about of Ritu & Chandni, two girls getting married against the prevalent societal norms. The story has been told from the perspective of Ayesha, who is keen to make the wedding happy for her favourite cousin Ritu. She isn't able to wrap her head around the idea of public being upset and angry with the Wedding taking place. In India, where Same-sex relationships have been legalized just a couple years back, same-sex marriages are still considered a taboo. Therefore, such a representation in a conservative society is definitely a welcome change. Also, the story being told by a child gives it a fresh perspective thus making it a great read, irrespective of the reader's age. The illustrations add to the story making it a quick and breezy read.

Realistic but a little bit of a downer. I'd definitely buy this one and put it on display, but I don't think I would choose it for a read aloud; the part about homophobic neighbors hosing down the brides was a lot for a book for kids, even if it is true to life; probably better for a parent conversation than with the librarian, I think. The illustrations of the actual wedding were very beautiful and a good message for children about standing up for their loved ones no matter what.

This book was so wonderful!!! The illustrations were vibrant and encompassed hindu culture so well. The spreads looks beautiful digitally so I can’t wait to see the final prints. The story has so much heart and I loved that the author combined romantic love with familial. Ayesha’s love for her cousin Ritu powered through the conflict so clearly highlighting that bigotry can be fought by support from family and a greater community. I thoroughly loved this and can’t wait to give this to all my little cousins!