Arjun and the Great Diwali Clean-Up

Read-aloud note

Ask what the character could try next, then accept the child answer without correcting too much.

Story

The day before Diwali, Mum tied up her hair and held out a duster. "Cleaning day!" Arjun flopped onto the sofa. "Cleaning is boring." He felt a little sad, too. His elephant, Motu, had been lost for a long, long time, and Diwali didn't feel right without him.

"Before Diwali, we clean every corner," said Mum, "so the whole house is fresh and ready for the festival. And do you know what? Corners hide treasures." She gave Arjun a little basket. "Anything you find goes in here." Arjun sat up. "Treasures?" He grabbed his little broom.

Swish went the broom under the sofa. Out rolled a fluffy dust bunny… Achoo! Then a red crayon. A shiny gold button. A bouncy green ball! "Treasure!" shouted Arjun. Into the basket they went. But no Motu.

Under the bed, Arjun found Papa's lost slipper. Behind the toy box, he found a puzzle piece with a giraffe's head on it. Papa cheered. Mum cheered. The basket was nearly full. But still no Motu. "He isn't anywhere," Arjun sighed, and he sat down with his dusty nose and his tired arms.

"One last corner," said Papa. He climbed the step stool to reach the very top shelf, and Arjun waited at the bottom, holding the basket. Down came the big Diwali box. They opened the lid. Strings of little lights. Paper lanterns. Packets of rangoli colors. And tucked in the middle… a blue elephant with one floppy ear. "MOTU!" Mum laughed. "Last Diwali, you said Motu wanted to sleep with the lights!"

The next night was Diwali, and the whole house sparkled. Papa had his slipper back. The giraffe was back in its puzzle. Little lights twinkled in every window. Lighting diyas is a grown-up job, so Mum lit them by the door, and Arjun watched from the window seat with Motu, washed and fluffy, in his arms. "This year," Arjun whispered, "you get to see Diwali from outside the box."

Scenes

Cleaning Day

The day before Diwali, Mum tied up her hair and held out a duster. "Cleaning day!" Arjun flopped onto the sofa. "Cleaning is boring." He felt a little sad, too. His elephant, Motu, had been lost for a long, long time, and Diwali didn't feel right without him.

The Treasure Basket

"Before Diwali, we clean every corner," said Mum, "so the whole house is fresh and ready for the festival. And do you know what? Corners hide treasures." She gave Arjun a little basket. "Anything you find goes in here." Arjun sat up. "Treasures?" He grabbed his little broom.

Under the Sofa

Swish went the broom under the sofa. Out rolled a fluffy dust bunny… Achoo! Then a red crayon. A shiny gold button. A bouncy green ball! "Treasure!" shouted Arjun. Into the basket they went. But no Motu.

Still No Motu

Under the bed, Arjun found Papa's lost slipper. Behind the toy box, he found a puzzle piece with a giraffe's head on it. Papa cheered. Mum cheered. The basket was nearly full. But still no Motu. "He isn't anywhere," Arjun sighed, and he sat down with his dusty nose and his tired arms.

The Diwali Box

"One last corner," said Papa. He climbed the step stool to reach the very top shelf, and Arjun waited at the bottom, holding the basket. Down came the big Diwali box. They opened the lid. Strings of little lights. Paper lanterns. Packets of rangoli colors. And tucked in the middle… a blue elephant with one floppy ear. "MOTU!" Mum laughed. "Last Diwali, you said Motu wanted to sleep with the lights!"

Diwali Night

The next night was Diwali, and the whole house sparkled. Papa had his slipper back. The giraffe was back in its puzzle. Little lights twinkled in every window. Lighting diyas is a grown-up job, so Mum lit them by the door, and Arjun watched from the window seat with Motu, washed and fluffy, in his arms. "This year," Arjun whispered, "you get to see Diwali from outside the box."

Read-aloud note

Ask what the character could try next, then accept the child answer without correcting too much.