This is such a great picture book. Diversity in the representation of LGBTQ+ characters is much needed and it’s a great intro to wedding customs as well. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story reinforces the idea that even children should speak out in the face of bullying.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well articulated thought simplified for the young people. Kudos!

Recently in India and many Asian countries we are starting to acknowledge LGBT community and tbh the thing is totally an alien in our society. So It's important we teach our future generation how to apt themselves with it alongside letting them know the toxic and malicious side of our society and how firmly they should face it. And this book exactly does it. Not making it too graphic it shows the cancerous side of us and the triumphant Against it too. But in a simplified way. Ofc kids aren’t gonna understand the heavy terminology we adults use to describe the hollowness, so I think this book did a stunning job to make it apt for kids. 

I can see a 5/6 years old me to enjoy it wholeheartedly. I'm judging it not from an adult viewpoint but the way how my child would take it. It's refreshing, educating and fun. Illustration style is also good. I just hope if there were couple more pages and if the story were a bit modified. Burring these, It's pretty much a great kid book. 


Will recommend!

A gorgeous book about culture and difference, unfiltered and uplifting. Truly fabulous illustrations, and an important lesson for young readers. Love is love.

An important book that shines a light on homophobia and equally resists it through the eyes of a little child who's simply excited to dance at her cousin's same sex marriage.

↦ the happiness, excitement, and celebration around a desi wedding.
↦ narrated in a way to highlight the disapproval of society and some family members but also showcasing the pure delight through those who are attending the wedding.
↦ easily infuses the notion that a marriage is a marriage, and can be carried out with the same religious ceremonies that straight weddings are conducted.
↦ an authentic art style that greatly honors different skin tones of the brown family and the glitters of a desi wedding while not stepping out of the vivid color scheme.
↦ reinforces the fact that children aren't born homophobic and that society can potentially corrupt their thoughts to regard people differently for simply who they choose to love.

⭐ 4 STARS ⭐

Ritu Weds Chandni is a charming picture book that celebrates love. With beautiful vibrant illustrations and a simple storyline that is sure to please even the pickiest young reader, this graphic novel will teach your child about the importance of growth and acceptance in a family.
This book does not shy away from the intricacies of queer existence in India. It confronts homophobia at the source and celebrates change in a delightfully whimsical way.

You Should Read This Book if you Like 💕:
+Vibrant art 🎨
+Simple Stories about Complicated Topics 📔
+LGBTQ+ Stories👩‍❤️‍👩

Read this to your child and trust you are teaching them a valuable lesson about the beauty of acceptance.

PREORDER this book now to receive it when it’s released on December 1st, 2020 👰👰.

I received an advance review copy of this book for free via NetGalley in partnership with Yali Books. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.

love love LOVE!!!

I generally do not read children's books as I am in my mid-30's but when I saw the synopsis I couldn't help but request this book!

The beauty of this book is that it’s told through the POV of a young girl who is very very excited to be a part of her cousin’s wedding and she doesn’t find it odd at all that her sister is marrying another woman. She is actually flabbergasted about why some of her extended family is missing from the ceremony or why there are protestors on the streets. This just goes to show that children are not born with prejudices or bigoted ideas, and we can easily give them a progressive and accepting upbringing!

Gorgeous illustrations and a beautifully told story come together in Ameya Narvankar's book, Ritu Weds Chandni.
The challenges of a same sex marriage unfolds during a vibrant and colorful wedding as Ayesha attends her cousin Ritu's wedding to Chandni. I highly recommend adding this book to school libraries. It's a simple story with a strong message about standing up to intolerance, and finding joy and happiness against adversity.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

This book was wonderful. The fact its told from Ayesha's point of view is amazing. She is nothing but proud of her aunt marrying her girlfriend, in the simple pure way children do. It is not all rainbows and sunshine but the ending is still a good one. Love is love and family who supports you is the best. The illustration style added so much vibrancy to the story.

I don’t have kids so I don’t normally read children’s picture books, but I knew I had to make an exception when I saw this one. This follows a young girl named Ayesha as she attends the wedding of her cousin Ritu and her girlfriend Chandni. She’s so excited for the big day, but things are interrupted when a group of people try to stop the wedding from happening. Ayesha doesn’t understand why these people and some of her own family are against the wedding of two women, but she decides she’s not going to let this special day be ruined. 

This heartwarming children’s story is about love, being an ally, and standing up for what’s right. This book is especially poignant as same sex marriage is still illegal in India and same sex relationships have only just recently been decriminalized. I also appreciated learning more about Hindi as a language, and even learned a few new words while reading this! On top of that, the artwork was absolutely beautiful in this book as well.

I can’t recommend this book enough, especially if you have kids or teach young children. This is the kind of book I would have loved to have had while growing up and I think these kind of inclusive books are majorly important in creating a future of acceptance for the youth of today and tomorrow.

Pub date: December 1st 2020

*Thank you to Netgalley and Yali Books for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Ritu weds Chandni is a book that directly deals with homophobia. In the book, Ayesha’s cousin, Ritu, is getting married to Chandni. Even though her immediate family supports her cousin, Ayesha soon realizes that Ritu and Chandni have not been accepted by the rest of the family and society. In fact, there are elements that actively try to ruin the wedding procession. But Ayesha is determined to help her cousin and confronts the people disrupting the celebration. The rest of the family and friends follow her lead. Ritu and Chandni persist and the wedding takes place in the presence of their near and dear ones and their unwavering love. The illustrations are vibrant and capture the sense of the joy and glamor of a wedding celebration. 

Children’s books are a great conversation starter for topics you are wondering how to bring up to children. And if, as parents and caregivers, you are hesitating to bring up ‘difficult’ topics, I believe, children can actually be a very astute audience. They have no prejudice, they are naturally curious and have an extraordinary capacity to empathize. When I read the story to my eight-year-old, he said he really liked how Ayesha took a stand. It reminded him of how brave Martin Luther King was for what he believed in. A story of triumph, standing up for what you truly believe in, and the power of unconditional love.

Such a beautiful read!
Ayesha is so happy about her cousin's wedding! But not everyone is happy, because her cousin is a woman... And is marrying another woman.
This is a dream and a nightmare. A dream, because a traditional marriage in India between two women is pretty much impossible nowadays. A nightmare, because it shows that, even if it was possible, a lot of people would be against it.
But that's why this is such an important book: because it puts the focus on a child's perspective, with its naivety and open-minded approach. Because Ayesha love's her cousin, and she really can't see how marrying someone you love could raise so much hate.
Make your children read this. We need more asian and lgbtq+ representation in this world, and in children books. Because children are our best hope for a better future.
Also, the art is gorgeous so there's that, too.

The book was a total reality how citizens of India look at gay/lesbians. This graphic book was really cute and the illustrations were beautifully depicted the whole situation of the marriage. Characterization was done perfectly and it blended. The way Ayesha's character was portrayed gave us to look at the innocence of the child who just wanted her Ritu di to be happy. The questions which she raised regarding marrying was apt. She only wanted her sister to be happy. The society looked Ritu and Chandni differently and this is what happens still. This small graphic book gave us insight to the real situations. It is must a read book for everyone.

This is a sweet story about Ritu marrying Chandni and the wedding celebrations that follow. Ritu's young cousin Ayesha is very excited about the wedding but she sees concern in her parents' faces. She is also surprised to see some of her relatives missing from the wedding celebrations. This is a book about redefining traditions—what is wrong with a bride leading the baraat—and standing up against hate and homophobia. 

Colourful, striking illustrations complete the north Indian wedding scenes. I really liked the use of bold colours which makes the book a celebration and nothing lesser.

The book describes Ayesha's love for her cousin and at the same time it throws light on the LGBTQ rights. I like the vision of the author behind the conception of the book. He found a lack of Children's books on LGBTQ and especially two women being together. He very rightly points out that how societal expectations put a greater weight on women as compared to men. The idea of same sex marriage has been put across very gracefully.
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Talking about the illustrations, they are absolutely fantastic and perfectly capture the essence and grandeur of Indian weddings. 
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This is an amazing book and a very important one too !! I am so glad that a children's book has been thought of with the idea of normalising same sex union and put across so beautifully and succinctly.

This is such a heartbreaking book. It shows the reality that all lgbt+ people won’t always be accepted and it’s sad. I really loved Ayesha though because she was the positive person throughout this and she knows at such a young age that it doesn’t matter who you love. As a lesbian, this book means a lot to me and I hope many people get to read it.

It's a short a d a very very very cute book filled with lovely illustrations. I liked how simple things were. Author managed to convey her message just perfectly despite the length of the book.

In India, young Ayesha is thrilled to celebrate the upcoming wedding of her favorite cousin Ritu to her girlfriend Chandni. Not everyone in town or in the Kapoor family shares Ayesha's excitement. At first glance Ritu Weds Chandni is a simple story about a child's untainted and joyous understanding of love. Dseper consideration examines homophobia as a cultural norm, entrenched gendered expectations, and violent resistance to sociopolitical change in expanding representative inclusion for all. Figures garbed in red and other saturated primary and secondary colors with turquoise accents pop in contrast to a tonal background of muted gold. This story celebrates love and invites readers to recognize the ethical right of every human to be loved for who they are, as they are. A glossary of terms followed by an author's note provide clarification of family relationships,  cultural traditions, garments, and South Asian LGBTQ+ recommendations for young readers. Ritu Weds Chandni uses a traditional wedding procession to examine society's slow progression toward equal marriage rights for all people everywhere.

This was such a cute little story and I loved how it addressed how hard it is to be queer in desi culture. I loved how Ayesha never for a second thought there was anything wrong with Ritu and Chandni and didn't entirely understand why the rest of their family had an issue with them. This was just so great!

This sweet picture book about being yourself even if others disapprove is amazing. I loved the theme and Ayesha's energy. I really enjoyed this book.

Gorgeously illustrated picture book about a lesbian Indian couple, their wedding, and their young cousin who adores them both but does not understand the anti-gay bigotry of some of her family and cousin's neighbors. While the story has a happy ending, it does include scenes of anti-gay verbal assaults, physical intimidation, and a particularly distressing multi-page scene wherein community members turn fire hoses on the wedding party in an attempt prevent the wedding from occurring. Inclusivity and tolerance are significant themes and rooted specifically within the cultural context. An author's note at the end serves as an appeal to the Desi community, of which he is a part, to be embrace same sex relationships and their portrayal as a human right. He also provides a brief list of additional South Asian LGBTQIA+ books for children and young adults.