I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review!

Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar is a very sweet and joyful book, even when it delves in the unfortunate reality of homophobia that still exists in most communities. It has wonderful art and seems informative about Indian traditions, as it beautifully illustrates the wedding ceremony alongside the events of the story. It lightly delves into the reality of homophobia without being too much for a kid to read and, as a queer brown woman myself, I think it is important to introduce children -especially children of color- to such inspiring stories and begin to discuss and explain these realities at a young age, to foster kinder hearts for the future.

My favorite thing is that the story has a happy ending and maintains its joyful tone throughout the whole book, without downplaying the important message. The vibrant art in this story is also such a treat, I had to go back and read it a second time to marvel at the illustrations.

I really enjoyed this sweet little story, and I will be recommending it to my friends too!

Seen through the eyes of a girl who is struggling to understand why people may be against the wedding between her didi and her girlfriend, Ritu Weds Chandni gives a voice to the South Asian LGBT. A festive happy event is about to be ruined by the absence of conservative relatives and the aggressive neighbours, but Ayesha will not let it happened. Naturally she succeeds to overcome the tensions with the simplicity of a child who does not need the narrow minded explanations of the adults to display her genuine love.
The message is convened in a children book but I bet there are adults that need some extra motivation to accept the choices of their fellow humans too.
The illustrations are acceptable from the aesthetic point of view. A list of the Hindi words used is provided at the end of the book.

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.

This was beautiful and it moved me to tears, it is so sad seeing homophobia in the innocent eyes of child who doesn’t know hate. It’s a short children’s book but it’s so worth it. Left me with a warm feeling in my chest.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book.

Beautifully written and illustrated, this is beautiful and strong book! Highly highly recommended, specially to those who are looking to start with some LGBTQ+ books with some South Asian representation.

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.

This book is truly an eye opener. It perfectly portrayed the conservative society that's occupied with homophobic, anti-feminist, misogynist and racist ideas. The only thing we could do to make this society, a happy place, is to educate our children to respect other's opinions and treat everyone equally.

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.

I really loved reading this book .This book would take hardly 10-15 minutes to finish but displays a very important issue. The character of Ayushi may have been childlike but she is the one we should all learn from . In a society where same sex marriage is forbidden Ayushi steps forward and brings about a change and helps in making the marriage of Ritu and Chandni and success.

The book is full of beautiful illustrations and each and every one of us must read it.

Thank you Netgalley for putting it in the Read now Section so that everyone can access and read it.

This was a very sweet children's book with lovely, beautiful art and an even more beautiful message. If I had children, I would definitely want to buy this for them to teach them that love is love.

It's honestly the first time I've read a children's book addressing gay marriage, and there should definitely be more efforts to talk to children and explain how there are people out there who want nothing more than to hate on what they don't understand. Highly recommended for parents/family looking for a way to talk to kids about queer love.

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.

It was a beautiful children's book showcasing same-sex marriage. Growing up I never came across such books but its great that now-a-days authors are writing such beautiful stories of love and acceptance for children as well. They are the future of our country and deserve to know that love has no barrier. You can love anyone you want to.
In this book the relationship between Ayesha and her Didi was so pure and beautiful. Inspite of being a child the way she supported her didi against all the odds speaks volume. Children are innocent and understand but its the society which fills them up with stereotypical thoughts. I want all the parents out their to make their children read this book once. Its lively and colourful with lots of pictures and children are surely gonna love it.

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.