This is an ownvoices* children's book from the point of view of a young girl, Ayesha, living in India whose favourite cousin, Ritu, is marrying her girlfriend, Chandni. Despite Ayesha's excitement for the big day, the day does not go as planned as the wedding is disrupted by homophobic community members.

As soon as I saw the title and front cover, I knew I had to check this book out. The mere existence of a children's book about a queer female Indian couple getting married is so, so significant and I really appreciated how the author shows the (unfortunately very realistic) homophobic reaction of the community to the wedding rather than sugarcoating it. Ayesha's innocence is both endearing and provides hope for future generations as she does not understand why people would be protesting a wedding and just wants her favourite cousin to have the best day. The message this book presents to young readers about standing up to bigotry and LGBTQ+ acceptance, particularly in the South Asian community where tradition plays such a huge role, is so important.

The main message of this story aside, the illustrations in this book are STUNNING! And I just know that there's going to be tons of South Asian kids who will be so excited to see themselves represented in a book.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*note that the author is an Indian queer male writing about an Indian queer female couple.

I was given a free copy by Netgalley for honest review.
I enjoyed reading this book , as the author mentioned in epilogue it would be uphill fight for same sex marriage for both men and women, but a tad bit more for women. The illustrations and dialogues in this book proved that. The fact that love is love is harder for so many of them to understand. By reading this book it will easier for some of us to understand pain and struggles of people who desperately want to marry their loved ones.

What a beautiful and inclusive picture! I loved this story and the message therein. Can't wait to hand this to kids who need to see it.

Ritu Weds Chandi is one of the sweetest picture books I've read. It's so precious, I cried the whole way through. The art is adorable and the story is so sweet. While it doesn't shy away from topics such as discrimination and how conservative desi families/communities disapprove of same sex marriages it is ultimate hopeful showing whole some may disapprove there can also be love and family who will share in your joy.
This would be great read for a child! It also has a list of Hindi words used in the back for people who aren't familiar with them so it is more accessible to people from other cultures.
Ah, I loved it.
Highly recommend.

4* Lovely and I so wish things could be like this in India, but sadly, I suspect not for a long, long time.

This is a really sweet little read that took me back to the days when I watched Bollywood movies. It was vivid and that vividness, as well as media reports the likes of which make the headlines (such as riots and an arrest warrant issued against him because Richard Gere kissed Shilpa Shetty on the cheek - I kid you not) were both in my mind. It made me both sad and happy; I read a fairytale with a dose of reality.

I wish, wish, wish that this could have happened in today's India. But it won't, not for a very, very long time and not without education and enlightenment. I liked the author's note and that she deliberately highlighted that females would have it harder than males to be in a same-sex relationship. I love many things about India and the traditions that have travelled across the seas, with my family whose origins are in Andhra Pradesh, but I hate the hypocrisy and the 'what will people say' thing and archaic ideas about honour and dishonour. I hope this book gets read by children and parents and that change starts to happen.

ARC courtesy of Yali Books and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I both love and hate this book. I love it because it is a sweet story of love in India, between two women and their loving family. I also hate it because it is about the hate towards two women and their hating family.

But, we need these books, that tear at us from both sides, because there are so many picture books about happy lgbtq weddings, we need to also see the hate that is out there, and how relatives can show support, as the niece in this story did.

Because it isn't all birds and sunshine out there. But, still, it is lovely how we learn about Indian wedding ceremonies, and the parts that the men usually do, which is what offended the relatives so much.

There are too few LGBTQ picture books about weddings, and certainly this is the first one I have seen that is Indian (East Asian).

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

A wonderful children's book with LGBT representation in the South Asian community. The art in this book is so bold and colourful. Definitely add to your kids' library!

**I received this book from netgalley in exchange for a review**

Okay, this book is ADORABLE. Its a beautiful little story about a f/f Indian couple on their wedding day, told through the eyes of one of their young cousins. Narvankar does an excellent job of capturing the unprejudiced innocence of childhood. The illustrations are absolutely stunning.

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This is a REALLY nice picturebook, and I am always a big fan of more LGBTQ rep in all genres of books. I love the colors, the presentation of all the wedding traditions, the great love Ayesha has for her cousin, and the supporting family! I especially enjoyed the spreads at the end with just pictures from the wedding and the final page which highlights the lack of acceptance in India for same-sex marriages!
Would recommend this to anyone!

There certainly weren't books like this when I was a kid. Obviously, the world is a lot different today than what it was then, but surely, the basic human need to be loved and to love hasn't changed. I loved seeing the representation of an LGBTQ relationship in an Indian setting, especially when told in a manner to appeal to young children. The illustrations are beautiful, and while the story is simplistic, I think it does a great job of educating children that love is love is love.

#RituWedsChandni #NetGalley

I loved this! There is still stigma in the Indian/Hindu community about LGBTQ relationships and marriages, Ritu Weds Chandni tackles not only the challenges LGBTQ face but it does so through the eyes of a child. This children's book is a great way to educate children about LGBTQ relationships and how there is nothing wrong with same sex marriage or couples, and that they are no different from heterosexual couples, despite the prejudice they face in Hindu communities. The illustrations also did an amazing job at enhancing the message of this children's book, allowing it to be light and airy whilst addressing the bigotry the brides faced on their wedding day.

To say I loved this book would be an understatement!
It was so refreshing and such a delight to see LGBTQIA representation in a conservative society. It was shown in a way I can actually see it around me.
I wish there were more customs highlighted which would've made the book so much more fun to read. But otherwise, it was amazing!
A perfect way to educate kids about non-heterosexual couples the right way

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. My views are my own.

This children’s book centers on a very short point: gay marriage is taboo, there is fear around the wedding, the main character isn’t aware of this and just wants to have fun / be happy. Beautifully (!!!!!) illustrated. So, so pretty. Something bad happens during the wedding but is recovered. The end includes a glossary of terms.

All in all, a very quick but poignant book. Culturally educational. And gorgeous illustrations. Speaks on homosexuality positively for the lesbian relationship. Main character is a child and stands up to those disproving the wedding. Good book, good topic.

I loved this book. There hasn’t been same-same relationships seen in many children’s books over the years. The world is changing & our views on marriage should be discussed worldwide. This book brings in the reality of how religion and culture play a part in the ideas of what marriage is. I was happy to see the main character show acceptance and joy for the couple getting married. Beautiful illustrations and easy to read language. This book is one of a few that shows the reality of hatred and the power of acceptance in this world. I appreciate the word glossary at the end of the book that explains some of the Hindi words spoken.. As someone not familiar with some of the words used to describe the ceremony, I appreciated having the author translate the words for me.

Beautiful story of a same-sex Indian marriage told through the eyes of a young girl, one of the bride’s cousins. The illustrations are vivid and colorful and I loved the illustration style. I was unfamiliar with some of the terms used within the story, but thankfully there is a glossary in the back, with pronunciations, as well as a page with the context of same-sex love and marriage in India for the adult readers who may want to further their own knowledge or have to field questions from children.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

This is a fantastic story about love. Ritu is getting married to her girlfriend and wants to participate in traditional marriage festivities. As the story continues we see the objections that some family and community members have to a same sex marriage. There is so much that this book will offer to readers - beautiful illustrations, the chance to learn about marriage customs, and proof that love is love. I cannot wait to add this to my classroom and home libraries. Such a beautiful story about the power of love.

ARC provided by Yali Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar is a beautiful and colourful children’s book centering the young Ayesha’s happiness for her favourite cousin’s wedding, her love for Ritu as well as the love between the two brides.

On the day of her didi’s wedding, Ayesha is really happy and she’s looking forward to dancing in the baraat “all the way”. She shows that her love for Ritu and Chandni, and the love they have for each other, is stronger than the hate other people and bigoted relatives may harbour.

In the last page of the book, the author explains the importance of this wonderful book and presents a short list of children’s literature featuring South Asian queer experiences to help readers find other noteworthy stories.

ARC provided by Yali Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar is a beautiful and colourful children’s book centering the young Ayesha’s happiness for her favourite cousin’s wedding, her love for Ritu as well as the love between the two brides.

On the day of her didi’s wedding, Ayesha is really happy and she’s looking forward to dancing in the baraat “all the way”. She shows that her love for Ritu and Chandni, and the love they have for each other, is stronger than the hate other people and bigoted relatives may harbour.

In the last page of the book, the author explains the importance of this wonderful book and presents a short list of children’s literature featuring South Asian queer experiences to help readers find other noteworthy stories.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for granting me early access to Ritu Weds Chandni in exchange for an honest review.

Ritu Weds Chandni is the story of a lesbian couple's traditional Indian wedding, told through the point of view of one of the brides' young cousins, Ayesha. We meet Ayesha and her parents getting ready for the wedding, then they go off to meet the rest of the family at the starting location for Ritu's baraat (wedding parade). When they arrive, Ayesha discovers that many of their friends and family have decided not to come. An older relative explains that it's because not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying a woman. Strangers from the area are gathering to try to stop the baraat and the wedding ceremony itself.

This is a story of love and acceptance in a place where tradition has not caught up with 21st-century morals. Ayesha ends up being a beacon of hope and love, accepting her lesbian cousins for who they are, seeing nothing wrong with who they've chosen to love, and encouraging everyone to continue celebrating despite attempts to spoil the day.

I appreciate the glossary of Hindi words at the end of the book, but I found the use of italics to emphasize these words throughout the text distracting and unnecessary. This is obviously a book about Indian culture and a wedding narrative, so we can assume that words we don't recognize as English are indeed a foreign language.

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous! The story itself is inspiring and beautifully written. I would recommend this book for primary grade aged children, but probably not preschool, as there are large chunks of text per page. Had I attempted to read this to my three-year-old, I'm sure she would have lost interest. A six-year-old, on the other hand, would probably enjoy this.

This is such a damn liberating read! More so because it's based on a conservative society and more so because the couple are women!

I just love the concept and the idea behind this children's story book. As such there's severe lack of such books, books on queer and LGBTQIA plus, and more so because of the gender represented. I myself tend to read more of MM books when it comes to reading queer books. Time to change that. And this book is just the basic start!

And yes, this book is quite apt for children.

In the story, Charu cannot quite understand why the relatives and family members did not attend or refused to attend her cousin, Ritu's marriage with her girlfriend, Chandni. (Love the cultural names though!)

Yes, it's true. Let alone marriage. The mere utterance of queer terms is still forbidden in the society. Even amongst the family. Imagine how difficult it must have been for this community and the hatred, discrimination they must be facing on a daily basis not only from strangers but more from their near and dear ones.

The dialogues between Charu and the adults who came to attend the wedding is done well. And yes, the baraat (wedding procession) is represented accurately. And so is the discrimination and hatred towards such marriages. All the Hindi terms are explained at the glossary towards the end.

The Illustration is so detailed and so well. presented. It's colourful, festive and representative!

Kudos to the team.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.