Solstice

Using solstice celebrations to take the reader on a journey around the world, this lovely book introduces fourteen fictional children from fourteen different locations as they experience the summer solstice. Whilst those living in the top half of the world have the longest day of the year, those in the bottom half experience the shortest, offering a fantastic snapshot of life around the Earth.

‘Solstice’ is a joy to read. Taken on a trip around the world, the reader is invited to share the daily lives of each child and discover, not only what happens on the solstice, but also something of the similarities and differences of those living in different locations. Each chapter starts with a map of the world showing where the child lives, the hours of sunlight on the 21st June and the average temperature range in addition to a small glossary featuring a selection of vocabulary with definitions used in the following text.

Each child then recounts their day, sharing cultural details about traditions and festivals as well as things about their daily routine. Kjersti from Svalbard, for example, comments on how normal it is for her that the sun doesn’t set and that she can sometimes see polar bears from her windows whilst for Bahasa, living in a city on the equator, the day is the same length all year round. Each section is illustrated by an artist with a connection to that country, making for a pleasing range of styles throughout the book. A section at the end of the book shows photos of each illustrator and offers a short autobiography. There is also a glossary of terms for the book as a whole and an index, making it easy to locate relevant information.

An excellent text to support the science and geography curriculum, ‘Solstice’ is also perfect for browsing at leisure.

Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day.
Jen Breach, illustrated by 14 global artists

What on Earth ISBN: 978-1913750770

The Best Eid Ever

‘The Best Ever Eid’ shares the story of Aisha and her family as they get ready to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Now that Ramadan is over, Aisha is looking forward to her favourite part of the festival- following the treasure hunt to find her Eid gifts. But first, there are many Eid customs and traditions to prepare for this very special festival.

This is such a lovely picture book, a perfect introduction to the festival for those who are not familiar with it whilst capturing the joy of those celebrating it themselves. From her father and her brother, Samir, returning from the mosque with news that the crescent moon has been seen, Aisha’s sense of excitement around the festivities is beautifully portrayed both through the story and the lovely illustrations accompanying it.

Following the family as Mum and Aisha decorate their hands with henna, the family dress in their new clothes and visit the mosque, everyone gathers to share special food and give gifts and finally take part in the treasure hunt to find the Eid presents gives the reader a sense of just what a special, joyful occasion Eid is and how much happiness sharing it with family and friends brings. A lovely book to share!

The Best Ever Eid

Sufiya Ahmed, illustrated by Hazem Asif

Bloomsbury ISBN: 978-1801993777

You can read my review of ‘Rosie Raja: Churchill’s Spy’ here and Rosie Raja: Mission to Cairo here.

Celebrate with Me!

This wonderful book is a real celebration of creative people and their favourite festivals. Each of the twenty five contributors explains why the festival they have chosen is special to them, and how they celebrate it. Alongside this information, they offer some of the recipes and activities they use to help the celebrations. It is an absolute joy to read and is sure to inspire families- and schools- to both understand and enjoy many celebrations from across the world!

A comprehensive contents page lays out a year of celebrations, starting with the New Year and closing with New Year’s Eve. Following this, there are pages devoted to ‘Birthdays around the World’, ‘More Fun With Festivals’ and mini biographies, including social media and website links, about those who have contributed to the book. This makes locating a particular celebration very easy as well as telling the reader who the section is written by and why they enjoy the occasion so much. Learning about festivals from those who actually take part in them is so important as it offers a genuine feel for the occasion and a real understanding of the significance of these events in peoples’ lives. It also enables children to see themselves and their cultures, traditions and religious beliefs appreciated, one alongside another, each valued, each celebrated.

The book includes an excellent mixture of well known and lesser known events. Each section is presented across a colourful, double page spread with plenty of illustrations. Baker and food justice advocate, Michael Platt, shares information about Juneteenth which commemorates the 19th June 1865, the date when news that slavery had been outlawed reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. He offers a recipe for a watermelon and tomato salad and shows how to make a Juneteenth flag, explaining the significance of the imagery and colours used. Dow Phumiruk, children’s author and illustrator, shares her joy for celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year. She has chosen to share a recipe for a delicious Thai-style Congee (a type of savoury, soupy porridge made from rice) and explains how to ask your elders for blessings. Architect and artist, Nick Wood, shares his excitement for Bonfire Night, explaining how to make ‘Marshmallow Sparkers’ and how to build a bonfire- a crafty one, if not a real one!

The illustrations capture the joy of sharing these special occasions perfectly, making the book as visually appealing as the activities are inspiring. The book is an absolutely essential addition to libraries, book corners and homes. Laura Gladwin, the book’s editor, will be joining us at this year’s Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ Conference and I can’t wait to learn more about how this gem of a book came about. I am sure that many book groups at a local level will be using some of these activities to inspire and celebrate with their members! An excellent resource and a pleasure to read!

Celebrate with Me! Recipes, Crafts and Holiday Fun from Around the World

Edited by Laura Gladwin, illustrated by Dawn M Cardona

Magic Cat ISBN: 978-1913520601

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the new year based on the lunisolar calendar and is the most important celebration for many Southeast and East Asian countries. This fantastic book explores the legends and traditions behind this festival with recipes and crafts to enjoy alongside the facts. For teachers, this is an invaluable resource as it offers a clear explanation of the customs and traditions linked to the Lunar New Year in different countries, ensuring the information they share with classes is both accurate and respectful. In 2023, Chinese New Year, Tết Nguyên đán (Vietnam) and Seollal (Korea) all fall on the 22nd January and although similar in some ways, each festival is different.

The book explains what is meant by the lunisolar calendar and the Chinese Zodiac before exploring the story of the ‘Great Race’ and how this differs from place to place. Other legends are also explored. For example, the legend of the Peach Tree explains why those who celebrate Tết often have an ornamental tree or branch on display in their homes. A glossary at the end of the book explains any possibly unfamiliar terms.

The arts and crafts section is packed with fun activities which are achievable and use readily available materials. The author has even considered this in the recipes section, advising that some ingredients can be substituted for those more commonly available whilst others can only be found in Asian food stores. The final section of the book offers decorated pages for the reader to use as a record of how they celebrated the Lunar New Year.

An excellent book for all to enjoy!

All About Lunar New Year

Kevin Tsang, illustrated by Linh Nguyen

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702315237

‘I Love Chinese New Year’ introduces the reader to Mai-Anne and her family as they prepare for Chinese New Year. She can’t wait to see her family and share the Reunion Dinner with them. Her Nai Nai tells her the story of the Great Race and when her Uncle Eric arrives, they can perform the family Dragon Dance and eat sweet tangerine pieces for good luck.

This is a delightfully warm, family-focused story. It offers a joyful introduction to the traditions of Chinese New Year for those who do not celebrate it whilst perfectly capturing the excitement and contentment of the special occasion for those who do. The illustrations are lively and colourful with plenty to notice and discuss. The story also reflects how special grandparent/ grandchild relationships can be. The book ends with facts about Chinese New Year and the Dragon Dance, allowing the reader to discover more about this fascinating festival if needed.

This is a book about a loving family as much as about an exciting festival making it an extra-special read!

I Love Chinese New Year

Eva Wong Nava, illustrated by Xin Li

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702315732