★ “With youthful optimism and a can-do spirit, Prema creates an eco-friendly Ganesha statue, and other young people join her in reimagining how the holiday can be celebrated in a way that protects the river . . . A must-have for holiday collections” – School Library Journal, starred review

During her town's Ganesha Chaturthi festival, young Prema is determined to protect the river from pollution. With creativity and persistence, she overcomes obstacles and rallies her friends to craft natural clay Ganesha statues to replace the plaster ones that harm the river. Created by an author and artist from different parts of India, this inspiring story of eco-friendly activism and teamwork is set in modern-day India and will empower young readers to make a difference.

• Celebrates sustainability and creative problem-solving
• Endnotes include facts about Ganesha Chaturthi, a recipe for sculpting dough, and tips for making eco-friendly statues
• Perfect for budding activists

Prizes

Winner of Nautilus Silver Book Award 2024,Commended for Green Earth Book Award Honor Book 2024

★ “With youthful optimism and a can-do spirit, Prema creates an eco-friendly Ganesha statue, and other young people join her in reimagining how the holiday can be celebrated in a way that protects the river . . . A must-have for holiday collections.” - School Library Journal
“A young Indian girl champions a green alternative to save the river from pollution” – Kirkus Reviews

 

CBA Grad, and SCBWI and 12×12 member, Lakshmi Thamizhmani divides her time between her corporate tech job, daydreaming and writing. After moving from India to the United States, she began writing for newspapers, but then discovered a passion for creative writing instead. Lakshmi now writes beautiful, lesser-known stories to bridge cultures and transport children to new worlds to learn and celebrate diversity.

Debasmita Dasgupta is an internationally published, Kirkus Best Prize-nominated illustrator, graphic novelist and screenwriter. She was born in Kolkata and lived in Singapore for more than a decade. Debasmita enjoys drawing both fiction and non-fiction for children and young adults. She has illustrated many picture books, comics and poems working with publishers in various parts of the world including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the UK and the USA. As an art-for-change advocate, she tells stories of changemakers from around the world partnering with global non-profits. Debasmita also mentors aspiring and emerging visual storytellers in Asia. Today she lives in the United Kingdom.