Christmas around the World

January 1, 2004
The On My Own Holidays series offers explanatory information about different traditions in a format suited to beginning readers and in an impartial, instructional voice. Hanukkah by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, illus. by Mary O'Keefe Young, offers a detailed version of the Hanukkah story and describes how Jews celebrate. Also in the series is Ramadan by Susan Douglass, illus. by Jeni Reeves, and Christmas Around the World by Emily Kelly, illus. by Joni Oeltjenbruns, the latter originally issued in 1986.

October 1, 2003
Gr 2-3-After a two-page overview of the holiday, readers learn about customs and activities in eight countries, ranging from the posadas of Mexico to using small pots of newly sprouted plants as decorations in Lebanon. The 1986 edition included sections on Iran, Iraq, Spain, and Norway, which have been replaced with Ethiopia, Germany, Lebanon, Australia, and Russia. Other countries visited include China and Sweden. The watercolor illustrations are an improvement over those in the earlier edition. A world map shows the countries visited (though the colors used for Lebanon, China, and Mexico are so similar that it's difficult to tell one from another); jokes, tongue twisters, and a recipe for cornflake wreaths (cookies) are included. Libraries that have the earlier edition will still want this one.-M. A.

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.