An easy, enjoyable way to start thinking about similarities and differences around the world.
Many American children know about piñatas at birthday celebrations, and almost all of them know about blowing out candles, but do they know that dumping flour on the birthday child is a tradition in Jamaica?
Each of the 14 double-page spreads in this informational roundup is devoted to a different country, among them Peru, Latvia, Lesotho, Cambodia, and Australia. The birthday child or a sibling describes the celebratory customs for an individual birthday or other special occasions such as Shichi-Go-San in Japan, when specific age groups (3-, 5-, and 7-year-olds) are honored. In Lesotho, where the idea of celebrating individual birthdays is not widespread, a boy describes the festivities that take place on July 17, when “our entire country celebrates the birthday of our beloved King!!” Hindu birthday celebrations in India start with a religious ceremony and continue with school parties. Klingeris, a sweet, pretzel-shaped bread, is prepared in Latvia, and the birthday child is lifted on a flower-bedecked chair. The short, simple explanations are accompanied by cheerful, stylized illustrations created with cut-paper collages and Photoshop. “Happy Birthday” in each language (in Latin script) appears in each section, with pronunciation and the original script in the glossary. The concluding guide to extension activities mentions that links to birthday-song videos from around the world are provided on the author’s website.
An easy, enjoyable way to start thinking about similarities and differences around the world. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77138-624-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
An enticing look at harvest rituals, foods, and festivities.
Harvest time is celebrated around the world.
When the difficult work of an agricultural society is finished, and if conditions have been good, there is plenty of food both to be stored and made into special dishes. Parades, music, and special decorations usually play important roles. In simple, rhyming couplets, DePalma describes 12 holidays in various countries, such as Chuseok, a Korean festival celebrated according to the lunar calendar (in September or October), and Homowo (“hoot at hunger” in Gã), celebrated in Ghana in August. The simple text is enhanced by extensive backmatter that offers more detailed explanations as well as a calendar showing when each holiday is observed. The richly colored digital illustrations offer detailed depictions of traditional clothing and foods. A variety of countries are highlighted, including Liberia, India (Tamil Nadu and Punjab), Poland, and Bolivia, and characters are diverse, but the illustrator’s style lends a sameness to many faces. Some people with physical disabilities are pictured. Children from various countries are gathered together at the beginning and end as if they were celebrating together. Given that many schools study festivals from all over the world throughout the year, this attractive, informative book will be useful as a starting point, though it lacks sources and maps. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An enticing look at harvest rituals, foods, and festivities. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Informational picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64686-6-274
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
A compelling introduction to Hank Greenberg for a new generation of baseball fans.
An informative look at a Jewish sports legend.
Krensky follows Hank Greenberg’s baseball career from his early days to his stardom with the Detroit Tigers during the 1930s and 1940s. The author focuses particularly on Greenberg’s Jewish heritage and the antisemitism he confronted from both fans and fellow players. This story hinges on a famous episode in Greenberg’s career, when the American League pennant race coincided with the Jewish High Holy Days. After consulting a rabbi, Greenberg decided to play baseball on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, but to sit out Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and attend services at his synagogue instead. The Tigers lost the game that day, but Greenberg’s legacy lives on. Bold, stylized illustrations will grab readers’ attention. Swirls of color convey movement as Greenberg slides through the dirt and hits home runs; white zigzags punctuate the “boos” he endures from bigoted audiences as he steps onto the field. Though the book doesn’t delve too deeply into Greenberg’s story, it gives just enough details to whet the appetite for more; both his commitment to his faith and his passion for the game come through clearly. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A compelling introduction to Hank Greenberg for a new generation of baseball fans. (biographical note) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781681155999
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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