Robson, Pam. How I Celebrate: A
Young Person's Guide to the Festivals of the World. Illus.
by Teri Gower, Pamela Hewetson, and Mark Bergin.
This book is a cheerful
romp through the customs and celebrations of people from many places, cultures,
and religions in the world.
There are seven
"children" featured in the book. Each child introduces a particular
collection of celebrations, and takes his or her turn to explain its
traditions. Life cycle events, such as birth and marriage, have their own
sections, as do "Special Days", "Memorial Days", and
"Holy Days".
With its attractive design and layout, this book has “coffee table book”
appeal. Colorful drawings and photographs are used to create an attractive,
although somewhat crowded page.
The snippets of information
are fascinating; the captions, informative. However, as I read the entries
about Jewish customs and holidays, I noticed a few inaccuracies. That's not
acceptable in a book of information.
The sections at the back of
the book are useful: "A Shared Calendar", using the Gregorian
calendar, lists holidays throughout the year. In an inventive way, our Jewish
holidays were integrated into this calendar by calling them
"moveable". Also included are "National Days",
"Saints' Days", "Glossary", and "Index".
Because the entries about
Jewish customs and holidays are only a small part of this book, I would
recommend it for a public school library, with reservations.
Ages
©
Anne Dublin.
Originally published in AJL Newsletter, Sept/Oct. 2002.
All rights reserved.