Chandra's Magic Light

Brief overview:

In the remote mountains of Nepal, electricity, running water, and access to healthcare are difficult to find. When Chandra's and Deena's little brother gets sick from the smoke of their family's indoor lantern, they learn about a lantern that won't make anyone sick—a solar lantern. This solar lamp costs more money than their family has so the girls launch a plan to earn money to buy it.

Recommended age range: 5-8 years old

Strengths:

• Sweet story to pull young readers into the life of village kids in Nepal and show the love of siblings to care for another.
• Beautiful illustrations to engage little ones.
• A simple ways to introduce kids to Nepali culture.

Additional Notes:

• The story references two Hindu gods that the girls pray to, a moon god and a sun god. These pages could be skipped (in the middle and at the end) without missing the heart of the story. Or could be a point of discussion about how Hindus don't know Jesus is the one true God. 
• Wordy for a picture book. Many picture books are between 500-1,000 words. This one is close to 1,400 words.
• The back of the book provides some basic information about Nepal.
• The book includes an activity to make a pizza box solar oven.
• Could be a tool for a unit study on Nepal since it provides a glimpse into village life.