Welcome to my latest blog post. I recently did a talk on Ramadan and Eid for my eldest daughters year group. They were so enthusiastic about learning more about what I spoke about. During the talk I also asked both classes what festivals and celebrations they embrace with their families. I didn’t have this book at the time but it could definitely have been a resource I used. Next time I will be taking this along and I think it’s a must have for all libraries.
Brilliant duo Whitney Stewart and illustrator Christiane Engel have again created a wonderful book that is seeped in information, is a celebration of diversity and inclusion and is such an inviting read. Their previous book, What’s On Your Plate? Is absolutely fantastic, which I have previously reviewed here. Having read that and shared with my girls who too think it is brilliant, we were super excited about What Do you Celebrate?
The book begins with a timeline of holidays and festivals around the world stating around which month they are celebrated. It also explains that like Eid, as some festival dates are based around the lunar calendar, dates each year can differ. The book then explores different countries, stating a festival that is commonly celebrated in that location.
There are 14 different festivals discussed in the book including, Holi, Cherry Blossom Festival, Purim and Carnival. In addition to the engaging illustrations throughout there are also real life photos of food, traditional costumes and more. As well as the book being a brilliant non-fiction read it also encourages children to attempt different activities related to the festival. For example, for Chinese New Year instructions on how to make a Chinese drum are given and for the Fourth of July a red, white and blue parfait recipe is shared. I am sure you can see this book would make a wonderful addition to a learning setting.
From the endpapers through to the detailed glossary, this book has been so throughtfully created. The book is a fabulous resource and I am so excited to see if and what the brilliant duo Whitney Stewart and Christiane Engle produce next.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. As always all words shared are my own. This post contains affiliate links.