Simply 7 with Lakshmi Thamizhmani: GANESHA GOES GREEN

Today’s picture book focuses on a traditional India festival and a child who wants to bring it into the realm of safety for the environment.  Interesting combination!

Lakshmi Thamizhmani divides her time between her corporate tech job, daydreaming, and writing. After moving from India to the U.S., she wrote for newspapers but discovered a passion for creative writing instead. Lakshmi now writes beautiful, lesser-known stories to bridge cultures and transport children to new worlds to learn and celebrate diversity.  You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

GANESHA GOES GREEN is the story of a little girl, Prema, who has had to move away from the city to a village because her mother became sick from river pollution associated with the Ganesha Chaturthi festival.  At the end of the festival every year, people place statues of Ganesha in the river and they fall apart over time killing animal and plant life as they pollute the river with paint and plaster.  Prema has a daring idea to change this, but she is just a child who is seeking to improve long held traditions and faces an uphill battle.  This is a fictional story but it feels like it could be a nonfiction story about one girl brave enough to try and create change.  The illustrations by Debasmita Dasgupta are also bright and alluring, adding to the story’s appeal.

Welcome Lakshmi!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey?  How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Lakshmi: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I think picture books are fun. They are fascinating and wonderful in the way they connect art and stories. They play a vital role in the development of a child’s creativity and imagination and can be a great resource to bridge cultures.

I love picture books and knew I wanted to write them. I took courses, joined critique groups, and learned about the publishing industry. I’d been noodling with the idea for this book for a while. After many, many revisions it transformed into GANESHA GOES GREEN. I’d love for my stories to educate and entertain, so I’m happy my debut book could introduce kids to this Indian festival while promoting environmental consciousness.

Me: What gave you the idea to write a book about the Ganesha Chaturthi festival?  What made you want to write this book?

Lakshmi: Growing up in India, I celebrated many festivals. Ganesha Chaturthi is one of my favorite festivals.  When I was a child, I would shop for the festival at our local street market with my parents. Shops with grass and cactus flower garlands, leaf decorations to hang at the entrances of homes, and colorful umbrellas – the market would be full of energy with everyone gearing up for the festival. My mom would make yummy coconut-jaggery dumplings – “kozhukkattais”, most of which I gobbled up!  The spirit of the festival, and the colors, sounds, tastes, and scents inspired many scenes in the story.

I also remember huge Ganesha statues that would be set up by the roadside and how they’d be carried in huge processions to be immersed in the sea after the festival. When I learned about how the plaster statues caused pollution, I researched and found eco-friendly statues. That concept evolved into GANESHA GOES GREEN.

Pollution and climate change is everyone’s problem. The earlier kids are aware of it, the more prepared they’ll be to act. 

Me: I love the character of Prema who is anxious about the festival because of what has happened to her mother.  She is so well developed and has such heart.  Was she based on anyone you know?  What inspired her as the main character?

Lakshmi: Thank you! Though fictitious, Prema is inspired by and represents every child who worries about the impact of pollution and the future of our earth and its natural resources. I dedicated this book to all children wanting to make a difference.

Me: I’m sure there are a lot of traditions associated with this festival.  How did you decide which elements to include in the story?

Lakshmi: As the heart of the story is about celebrating the festival in an environmentally friendly way, I chose to weave in traditions that supported that theme. For example, submerging the statues is an integral part of the festival, so immersing natural, clay statues fit in. I also included a few other aspects such as making umbrellas and garlands from natural materials – they offered a creative opportunity for the children in the story to collaborate.

Me:  I know many children love to celebrate holidays.  Why is telling Prema’s story and her experience important to you?

Lakshmi: Holidays are a great time to celebrate with friends and family. I wanted to encourage children to look at how they celebrate festivals today, question the impact of the practices, and come up with (or return to) natural ways to celebrate.

Also, big changes start small. I wanted kids to believe (in a non-preachy way, of course 🙂 ) that if they wanted to make a difference, they should protect their ideas and keep trying, so eventually, they could come up with creative ways to make them work.

Me: Debasmita Dasgupta’s illustrations in this book are wonderful.  I love her color palette.  Were there any illustration surprises for you?  Any favorites?

Lakshmi: Yes. Smita is awesome! I loved how she represented the people, outfits, and architecture of South India where the story is set. She also did a fabulous job of representing kids from different backgrounds. The action and energy when the children team up is beautifully captured.

Me: What projects are next for you?  What can we look forward to reading?

Lakshmi: My next picture book, Navya Sings for Navarathri, is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2024. It is the story of a young Indian-American girl who is empowered to overcome her stage fright while celebrating Navarathri with her female relatives.

That sounds wonderful Lakshmi.  Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, if you haven’t yet had a chance to track down this book, I highly recommend checking it out.  It’s an excellent example of cherishing old traditions while finding new paths to celebrate them.