Ms. HARRISON: We think that there is a subtle message there that children can eat things like sweets, soft drinks and candy and fast and convenience foods and not raise their risk of being overweight.

NPR: Kids Have Easy Access to Junk Food

Ms. HARRISON: So we're really looking at a marketing landscape for children that consists of candy, sweets and soft drinks and convenience foods and a little bit of cereal.

NPR: Kids Have Easy Access to Junk Food

It is also a time for the community to light candles, dress in their best clothes, invite friends for parties and eat traditional foods, including Indian sweets such as barfi, a milk-based candy, and ghoogra, a pastry made of cereal and sugar.

BBC: Thousands celebrate Diwali

Ms. HARRISON: When we look at all the advertisements together, candy, sweets, soft drinks and fast and convenience foods make up over 80 percent of all of the foods that were advertised.

NPR: Kids Have Easy Access to Junk Food

The book is both a primer on the history of sweets dating back to the time of the ancient Egyptians and an homage to the American candy brands that became icons of the 20th century.

NPR: 'Candy: The Sweet History'