Editorial Review

Each book describes the featured holiday’s history, customs, symbols, etc. Clear texts are presented on generous white space surrounded by wide, colorful borders (red in New Year, green in St. Patrick’s Day, orange in Thanksgiving). Each book is awash with colorful cartoon illustrations, mostly showing children celebrating the event. A ‘Poets’ Corner’ is included in the latter two titles. Side boxes offer further information; one in New Year lists the ingredients on the Tray of Togetherness, which has compartments for eight sweet foods, each with a special holiday meaning. A recipe and a craft complete each title. These are acceptable introductions. Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith’s Celebrating Chinese New Year (Holiday House, 1998) has similar information and photographs, as do books in the ‘Holiday Histories’ series (Heinemann Library).