Mihir's Diwali Sky Lantern

Read-aloud note

Read the child name into the story when it fits, then pause for a giggle or reply.

Story

Every Diwali, the balconies in Mihir's building glowed with paper star lanterns. Aaji called them akash kandils. "Akash means sky," she said. This year, Mihir wanted to make his very own. So Aaji came home with a star made of thin bamboo sticks, and a roll of bright orange paper.

Aaji cut the paper with her big scissors. Scissors are a grown-up job, so Mihir was in charge of glue. Dab, dab, dab. He pressed each piece onto the sticks. "Hold it and count to ten," said Aaji. "One, two, three…" Piece by piece, the bare sticks turned into a big orange star.

Next, Aaji gave Mihir a paper punch. Click! A tiny round hole. Click, click! A row of holes. Mihir loved the clicking. Click, click, click, click! When he looked up, one whole point of the star was full of holes. "Oh no," said Mihir. "I made it holey!" Aaji just smiled. "Let's wait until it's dark."

Aaji cut long paper strips, and Mihir fluffed them into tassels that swished like a tail. Then Baba brought a small battery light. "Never a candle inside paper," said Baba. "This light stays cool." Mihir clicked it on. It worked! He clicked it off again and, very carefully, tucked it inside the star.

That evening, Baba switched off the room lights. Mihir held his breath and pressed the button. The star glowed orange. And all over the walls and the ceiling… tiny dots of light! Dozens and dozens of little stars. The most stars of all came from the point full of holes. "My holes made stars!" whispered Mihir.

Baba stood on the step stool and hung the kandil from the hook in the balcony ceiling, while Mihir stayed by the door and called, "A little higher!" Now his star glowed with all the others in the building. Mihir lay on the mat beside Aaji and looked up at the tiny stars on the ceiling. "Now I know why it's a sky lantern," he said sleepily. "It makes its own sky."

Scenes

Akash Means Sky

Every Diwali, the balconies in Mihir's building glowed with paper star lanterns. Aaji called them akash kandils. "Akash means sky," she said. This year, Mihir wanted to make his very own. So Aaji came home with a star made of thin bamboo sticks, and a roll of bright orange paper.

Hold and Count

Aaji cut the paper with her big scissors. Scissors are a grown-up job, so Mihir was in charge of glue. Dab, dab, dab. He pressed each piece onto the sticks. "Hold it and count to ten," said Aaji. "One, two, three…" Piece by piece, the bare sticks turned into a big orange star.

Click, Click!

Next, Aaji gave Mihir a paper punch. Click! A tiny round hole. Click, click! A row of holes. Mihir loved the clicking. Click, click, click, click! When he looked up, one whole point of the star was full of holes. "Oh no," said Mihir. "I made it holey!" Aaji just smiled. "Let's wait until it's dark."

Tassels and a Light

Aaji cut long paper strips, and Mihir fluffed them into tassels that swished like a tail. Then Baba brought a small battery light. "Never a candle inside paper," said Baba. "This light stays cool." Mihir clicked it on. It worked! He clicked it off again and, very carefully, tucked it inside the star.

Stars Everywhere

That evening, Baba switched off the room lights. Mihir held his breath and pressed the button. The star glowed orange. And all over the walls and the ceiling… tiny dots of light! Dozens and dozens of little stars. The most stars of all came from the point full of holes. "My holes made stars!" whispered Mihir.

A Sky of Its Own

Baba stood on the step stool and hung the kandil from the hook in the balcony ceiling, while Mihir stayed by the door and called, "A little higher!" Now his star glowed with all the others in the building. Mihir lay on the mat beside Aaji and looked up at the tiny stars on the ceiling. "Now I know why it's a sky lantern," he said sleepily. "It makes its own sky."

Read-aloud note

Read the child name into the story when it fits, then pause for a giggle or reply.