A Calendar of Festivals [Paperback]

Cherry Gilchrist (Author), Helen Cann (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000 | Age Level: 8 and up

This compelling collection takes readers back through story and legend to the origins of many festivals celebrated throughout the world and traces some of the stories that are connected to them. The cross-cultural collection includes stories from Russia, India, China, and Jewish tales--and, of course, stories of Christmas. Full-color illustrations.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Legends and folktales associated with eight different festivals from around the world are arranged in chronological order. Each story is introduced by a single page of background. Holi is represented by "How Krishna Stole the Butter." "The Life of the Buddha" is the story for Vesak, while the tale of "The Oxherd and the Weaving Maiden" accompanies the Japanese festival of Tanabata. The tale of Jamie Freel, here called "The Halloween Changeling," is the selection for Halloween. Kwanzaa is represented by a Caribbean story, "How the Warau People Come Down to Earth." Finally, the Russian "Father Frost" rewards a poor girl and destroys her greedy, rude stepsister in an offering for the New Year. The retellings are fluent and readable, and could be used for storytelling. This handsome book has detailed watercolor illustrations on every page. Sources for the stories are given at the back. Louisa Campbell's A World of Holidays (Silver Moon, 1993) includes celebrations in Japan, Pakistan, Namibia, Canada, and Mexico, but the stories deal with contemporary children. A good addition to folklore and holiday sections, and especially valuable for the less-familiar festivals included.
Pam Gosner, formerly at Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 8^-12. Bright greeting-card colors and patterned borders set the tone for this compendium of celebrations that covers the year from Jewish Purim in early March to the Russian Frost King/Snow Maiden in December. "How Krishna Stole the Butter" and the life of the Buddha lead into the Chinese and Japanese legend "The Oxherd and the Weaving Maiden" and the changeling Halloween tale from the west of Ireland. The tales are lively in the retelling, although they hold no sense of the sacred. The text is straightforward--the Christian Christmas story comes straight from the New Testament Gospels--and a fair number of sentences seem to end in a breathless exclamation point. Useful for looking at the many ways cultures seek to find an answer to why things are the way they are and for tracing the universal human impulse toward celebration. Sources appended. GraceAnne A. DeCandido --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Barefoot Books (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841482447
• ISBN-13: 978-1841482446
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,270,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A World of Celebrations, January 30, 2001

By 

drariadne (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Calendar of Festivals (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book with a story for each festival. There are 8 stories and a short description of how each festival is celebrated, and it's history. It is a multicultural-multi-religion book, including Purim (Jewish), Holi (Hindu), Vesak (Buddhist), Tanabata (Japanese), Halloween (Celtic), Christmas (Christian), Kwanzaa (Carribean) and New Year (Russian). Obviously this book isn't meant to be the "last word" on any of these festivals, but to give a bit more background to festivals you might celebrate, and increase knowledge of those you don't. There are full color pictures and edgings done in the style of the country involved for each story. Although the reading level is listed at 8-12, children much younger will be happy to sit and listen. My 5 yo loves it, and I expect many children as young as 4 will enjoy it.

3.0 out of 5 stars disappointing book with great art, December 28, 2010

By 

Mrinalini Iyer (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Calendar Of Festivals: Celebrations From Around The World (Paperback)

Only about 8 festivals are included in this book, both major (Christmas) and minor (Tanabata from Japan) lumped together. Corresponding stories are quite long, sometimes stilted and oftentimes violent, and don't always pair well with their festivals. For example, the Indian festival of Holi appears with a story about Krishna, a Hindu god who has no involvement in the festival of Holi. This book is best for older children (10 and up, I'd say) with a strong interest in a particular festival. If you're looking for a comprehensive book of world festivals, buy Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! - it's the undisputed monarch in this category.

The illustrations are by far the best thing about this book. They're unequivocally gorgeous. Now that I've bought it, I think the best use for this book might be to take it apart and frame a few of the two-page spreads.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars erasing me, August 25, 2007

By 

phoenix - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Calendar Of Festivals: Celebrations From Around The World (Paperback)

i was excited about the title of this book as both a parent and a montessori directress...until i realized there was no mention of muslim festivals or holidays. how does one write a book like this and ignore the religion of ...what is it? one fourth of the world's population?