As the title suggests, the book is about celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu festival) with eco-friendly Ganesha idols instead of buying the ones made with Plaster of Paris. 

Prema is a little girl (possibly around 8 or 9) living in a small village in Tamil Nadu. She worries about the pollution caused by chemically made Ganesha idols immersed in rivers and lakes. The book shows how Prema learns to make clay statues and creates awareness in her village with the help of her friends. 

The story is written for the young audience, possibly first, second, and third-gen immigrants and Western readers. However, it retains the earthy flavor of indigenous celebrations mixed with modern culture. The writing is easy to read and understand. The language is simple for young kids to follow. The correct pronunciation for words like Ganesha, payasam, prasadam, etc., are also provided (a good idea). 

The illustrations are beautiful and as rustic as they should be. The skin tones are perfect. Girls have thick kajal around their eyes, hair plaited into braids or buns, and flowers adorning them. Except for Prema (with a unibrow, a great touch), other girls and women have bindis (pottu) too. The thin green bangles on the hands and those chappals (footwear) are also very natural. 

I love the seamless inclusivity and diversity. In Andhra too, it’s common to see some Muslim families take part in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. They visit pandals and accept prasadam, just as we reciprocate for Eid. 

The background, too, feels like a real village with a scooter, auto-rickshaw, hand-painted banners, temple gorupams, garlands, etc. Even a cute kitty makes a guest appearance. 

And I love the bushy eyebrows women have. No salon-style arches here! The first pages have kolam (rangoli/ muggu), a must in our homes. Simply put, I love the illustrations and the detailing in them. Ganesha idols are so, so cute! 

One thing missing in the book (a vital point, IMO) is an acknowledgment of our ancestors who used eco-friendly clay and dough idols for centuries. We didn’t always use PoP and chemical paints for our idols. Our grandparents’ generation and the previous ones weren’t into fake flowers, gaudy decorations, and excessive drama. They believed in prayer and rituals instead of hype. 

Some families (yours truly included) have bought only clay idols every year. We still find a few sellers who bring clay and molds and make the idols right in front of your eyes. They press the wet clay into the molds and flip them onto old newspapers. The idol is then gently wrapped in a large lily leaf. We have never purchased a colored idol made from PoP and other items. I intend to continue the tradition and pass it on to my children. It’s my ancestors’ gift to me. 

As a person from an indigenous land, it is very important to acknowledge the ancient practices where people were one with nature. Plates made of leaves and eco-friendly cups aren’t modern inventions. These were a part of the land before everyone went modern and disregarded ancient practices by calling them backward and undeveloped. Now some groups patenting indigenous practices doesn’t make them new or unique. It has been a way of life before modernity took over. 

We have to honor our ancestors. It is our responsibility. 

To summarize, Ganesha Goes Green presents the topic in a neat and sweet format for kids to understand the importance of eco-friendly practices. It also has a recipe to make dough-based Ganesha at home. 

I received an ARC from Edelweiss+ and Barefoot Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.