Autumn Festivals

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-- Extremely attractive, colorful, and invitingly presented volumes. The content is exactly what the title promises: an overview of the ways in which people around the world celebrate these two season's holidays. Various examples of autumn festivals include harvest, Thanksgiving (with a welcome mention of the different dates observed in Canada and the U. S.), Rosh Hashana, Diwali (for some Hindus), bonfire night in Britain, Halloween, the Bengali festival of Kali, the Chinese Moon festival, and more. The winter festivals include Christmas traditions, winter solstice observances, Chinese and Japanese New Years, Carnival, snow festivals, and more. Both volumes are notable for the brilliant, carefully chosen full-color photographs that feature joyous times the world over; large, readable print; brief but cogent explanations of the festivities described; and a helpful glossary and index. Occasionally, however, it may prove difficult for readers to determine exactly which community celebrates a particular event. Nevertheless, both books are excellent additions to multicultural collections. --Joan McGrath, Education Centre Library, Toronto, Ontario, Canada