Good supplementary material to increase the holiday’s meaning and currency for older children.
An overview of the holiday of Passover is elaborated with personal narratives, the story’s connection to the Holocaust, and various Seder customs practiced in several countries around the world.
A Canadian author and child of Holocaust survivors, Polak introduces the topic through her own personal account of a secular Jewish upbringing in Montreal. She focuses on how her research on and interest in the Holocaust brought her full circle to hosting her first Seder. The first chapter is devoted to the traditional Haggada, the book used to recount the ancient story, which includes the various rituals performed at the ceremonial meal. She introduces Ben, a Lithuanian survivor, and his version of his family’s Passover observance before World War II. From here Polak clearly connects the biblical story of oppression, escape, and freedom to the Holocaust while segueing into modern-day observance and traditions. Two concluding chapters outline the Jewish community’s charitable commitment to providing food baskets and support for the needy as well as the diversity of multicultural traditions for the holiday as celebrated in not only Israel, but in some Asian, European, and African countries. A plethora of photographs, informational sidebars, drawings, and recipes break up the substantial yet enlightening text.
Good supplementary material to increase the holiday’s meaning and currency for older children. (glossary, index, references) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4598-0990-1
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
The intended audience may find this less interesting than educators and librarians looking for program ideas; nevertheless,...
A survey of birthday customs from ancient times to today’s birthday wishes on social media.
The special feature of this recently launched series is the inclusion of personal reminiscences, some of which are more unusual than others. Here, the mother-and-daughter co-authors have used some of their own, with the most compelling being Tate-Stratton’s memory of spending her 20th birthday in Japan, where she joined in Adult’s Day, Seijin no Hi, wearing an opulent kimono and participating in ceremonies at the local city hall and religious shrine. The origins of birthday customs in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome are described, as are celebrations in many contemporary countries. Special ceremonies and parties for specific ages, such as the Latin American quinceañera for 15-year-old girls, Jewish bar and bat mitzvahs (religious coming-of-age ceremonies for 13-year-old boys and 12-year-old girls), and parties for Korean 1-year-olds, are explained. The authors also call attention to birthdays for senior adults, especially in Asian countries. The color photos are excellent, and the text is well-researched (although not much is included on African countries), but the activities scattered throughout the book are less than exciting: a recipe or two (some measurements are only in metric units), a birthday calendar project, a simple game for kids younger than the target audience, and suggestions for thinking about and reflecting on the past year and goals for the next.
The intended audience may find this less interesting than educators and librarians looking for program ideas; nevertheless, a useful book. (glossary, references and resources, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1297-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Dec. 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
Despite its purported scope, of limited use in today’s multicultural classrooms and libraries.
Informational tidbits about world holidays will leave readers hoping for more details.
Originally published in Great Britain, this small volume (the size of an elongated board book), perhaps intended as a gift item, tries for diversity but is still heavily weighted toward European traditions. Arranged seasonally, it starts off with a posh New Year celebration with tuxedos and paper crowns (and white faces) although the text mentions “Not every community celebrates its new year on the first day of January. China, Iran, and India are among the many countries that call other dates ‘New Year.’ ” Some headings are amusing. “Great Balls of Fire!” (more memorable to adults than children) leads off the explanation of Hogmanay (New Year) in Stonehaven, Scotland, where inhabitants in kilts celebrate with incendiary derring-do, pictured in a thumbnail vignette. The fierce Hungarian masks used to scare winters away are fun, and the celebration of Holi in India shows up in a double-page spread exploding with color. The Eyo festival of the Yoruba people of Lagos, Nigeria, is presented as a “winter celebration”; it is paired with a Shetland Islands festival, which is the one that’s pictured. Islamic festivals are omitted. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah is included briefly, but the Easter and Christmas (evidently celebrated in “every country”) descriptions don’t mention Christianity. There is neither index nor sources.
Despite its purported scope, of limited use in today’s multicultural classrooms and libraries. (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-944530-10-5
Page Count: 72
Publisher: 360 Degrees
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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