NEW BEGINNINGS: Celebrating Birth

This entry in the Life Times series takes a somber but serviceable look at the ways newborns are welcomed into the fold in six major world religions. Every religion has special traditions: Buddhists celebrate the birth of Buddha more than they do individual babies; Jews have more elaborate rituals--including circumcision--for boys than for girls; the rituals of Islam include shaving off the baby's hair; in the Hindu religion, the priest works out the child's horoscope. The approach is more studious than entertaining; full-color photographs help with unfamiliar items described in the text. Along with other entries in the series covering death rituals, marriage ceremonies, and coming-of-age celebrations, this book is a useful multicultural tool.