Little Flame

The Gifts You Carried

Welcome, little flame

Picture books that help children know God as close, loving and real.

The Gifts You Carried, picture books about the Hindu Gods for children

Happy Diwali from Supreme Swan

Read Before the Beginning free

Our Diwali gift to your family. Sit close, and turn the pages together.

← BackCoverTurn the page →

Before the Beginning, Cover

A copy to keep: paperback or Kindle on Amazon.

Why we made these books

A bedtime story that became a calling

This story began at bedtime, as a video for our daughter, Durga. So many of you asked us to make it into a book, and so we did. Behind it was one question: how does a child come to know God as real and near, and not only as a story about someone far away?

The video that started it all.

Each book offers four ways in

ReadA story to share at bedtime, where a God comes close in a moment every child knows.
LiveOne quality of that God, such as courage, stillness, joy or open hands, to carry into tomorrow.
FeelA little meditation, so your child can experience that quality inside, not only hear about it.
ColourPaintings to colour, so the God comes to life in your child’s own hands.

Step inside

Every page, painted with love

Each God arrives in a moment every child knows: a scooter race lost, a lamp lit at Diwali, a quiet night at the altar.

Ganesha on his lotusA girl meets Ganesha in the gardenA family picnic, togetherA quiet path under the moonSaraswati with her veena and swanLighting lamps on Diwali nightLakshmi with a little lampThe little flame and the GodsHanuman, strong and gentleHanuman holding every child in his heartKrishna with his fluteKrishna and the whole universeShiva and a little girl on the mountainSitting still with ShivaDiwali in the cityDurga Ma and her children
Sample story spreads from The Gifts You Carried

Eight books, eight gifts

Meet the Gods

BOOK 1Before the BeginningWhere every gift began, and the love that carried you here.
BOOK 2Ganesha and the Whole WorldWisdom, and knowing your family is your whole world.
BOOK 3Saraswati and the First SongFinding your voice, and the joy of chanting.
BOOK 4Lakshmi and the Little LampGratitude, and a heart with open hands.
BOOK 5Hanuman and the Open HeartCourage, and seeing God in everyone.
BOOK 6Krishna and the Sky InsideWonder, and the joy that lives within.
BOOK 7Shiva and the Still MountainStillness, and holding on to God.
BOOK 8Durga Ma and the Whispered NameThe Divine Mother, and a mother’s love.

Look inside

Ganesha and the Whole WorldGanesha and the Whole WorldBook 2 →Volume OneVolume OneBooks 1 to 4 →Volume TwoVolume TwoBooks 5 to 8 →

See every book and edition

At home

How to read them together

  1. Light a lamp. A diya or a candle tells the body this is a special time.
  2. Read slowly. Let your child point, ask and wonder. There is no rush.
  3. Name the gift. Ask: where could you use Ganesha’s patience tomorrow?
  4. Do the little meditation. Two minutes, eyes closed, breathing together. This is where the story becomes a feeling.
  5. Colour on the weekend. Print a page and colour side by side.
Read, Live, Feel, Colour: the four ways into each book

Free to print

Colour the gifts

A painting from the book beside its colouring outline

Every painting in the collected volumes has a matching outline. Print them free, as many times as you like.

Volume One pages (Books 1 to 4) Volume Two pages (Books 5 to 8)

US Letter, 12 pages each. Print at actual size.

From our community

What families are saying

“I was literally in tears watching it. It’s just so touching, and so sweet. The story and the little pictures too.”
JUSTIN B.
“Such a beautiful story and so artfully presented. What a blessing for the little one and for anyone who reads and experiences it.”
LINDA V.
“So lovely, and consoling for all of us who are in the process of ‘remembering.’ Thank you for the inspiration!”
KAYA S.
“That was lovely! Hope you create and share more.”
LINDA M.

Questions parents ask

Good to know

What ages are these for?
Ages 2 to 8. Little ones love the pictures and the rhythm of the words. Older children take the gift and the meditation further.

Do we need to know the stories already?
Not at all. Each book stands alone, and a note for grown-ups at the back shares the story from the scriptures and simple ways to talk about it.

Are the books only for Hindu families?
They are rooted in Hindu tradition and written with deep reverence. Any family that wants their child to feel loved, brave and still inside is welcome here.

For your child tonight

Sit together for one quiet minute. Hold hands, close your eyes, and whisper:

“God is here, and God loves me.”

With love and light,
Kunal, Neha and Durga