Seasonal Crafts

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4Each volume offers a dozen crafts to celebrate significant days of the season in the title. The observances covered range from holidays such as Diwali and Christmas to more general seasonal events such as hibernation and migration. A cursory, half-page introduction to the topic (e.g., "Autumn Animals," "United Nations Day") is presented with a full-color photo and is faced with a single page of equally scant directions for the corresponding craft. The scope of the projects generally surpasses the abilities and dexterity of the children who would be drawn to the books. Diagrams and instructions are not always specific (it is not always clear which direction folds should go and "diluted glue" does not include a formula for how much water to add) and some craft items may be unfamiliar to young readers, (e.g., drawing pin, ring pulls, elastic tags). Finally, those who do struggle through the directions may be unpleasantly surprised to find that their project differs markedly from the one in the illustration. Those who hope to gain insight into the seasonal celebrations will also be disappointed. Although there has been an attempt to represent many cultures, Kwanzaa is given only three sentences on the page about Christmas trees. While there is great demand for information on festivals and celebrations around the world and related activities, these books do not fill that need.Starr LaTronica, Four County Library System, Vestal, NY