First published 2025
Maya arrives at her grandparents' home in India just in time for Holi, the vibrant spring festival she has never celebrated before. The morning begins with a feast of rasgulla dumplings and sweet mango lassi before Maya and her family dress in bright clothes and step into the streets. The celebration surrounds her with singing voices and swirling clouds of colored powder in blue, red, and purple. Maya feels the festival's magic as strangers become friends through shared joy and playful color throwing. When she returns to America, Maya carries something new inside her. The festival's spirit of hope, forgiveness, and love travels with her across the ocean, warming her long after the colored powder has washed away.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: America, India
Period: Spring
40 pages · Hardcover · Scholastic Press