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“Moving to Canada from India means discovering new traditions while honoring your own. Siddhu and his family settle into their apartment in Creston, a small town outside Calgary. …Siddhu faces bullying from a white classmate named Kevin, but fortunately he befriends an international group of kids from his apartment building. …Through ups and downs, this multicultural group must decide: Does fitting in mean losing a part of yourself, or can your sense of belonging expand to include something new? …An uplifting read about navigating change and embracing community.”

—Kirkus Reviews

Namaste, Santa

Written by Rahul Chaturvedi
Illustrated by Sunita Balsara
Published by Kids Can Press

Life is tough for Siddhu and his family after they move to Canada from India. So, when the other immigrant children in his apartment building tell him about Christmas, and how Santa always skips their building because no one puts up a Christmas tree, he decides this is his chance to make things better for all of them. He’s going to find a way to get a Christmas tree into their building! What he doesn’t anticipate, however, is how fiercely some of the adults resist. That is, until Siddhu and his friends learn the true meaning of Christmas spirit. And, suddenly, everything changes.

Rahul Chaturvedi has crafted a quintessential immigrant story with a delightful Christmas twist. Together with Sunita Balsara’s expressive illustrations, it also offers a realistic depiction of what life is like for a child in a new country. This fun graphic novel perfectly blends a charming, feel-good Christmas story with lessons on Indian and other cultures’ holiday traditions. It highlights the similarities in all cultures, and how when people of different backgrounds get together to accomplish something, the result can be magical – an important message for our time. The book also provides a relatable, funny and fresh child-centered point of view. There are excellent character education lessons here on adaptability, cooperation, inclusiveness and teamwork. A glossary of Hindi words and terms is included.

Primary ISBN: 9781525311536
Publication Date: October 2026
Available As: Hardcover
Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Age 09 or older

Community Represented:

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Setting: India (Rajasthan), Canada (Calgary)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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