India – The Land of Festivals: A Monthly Guidebook to Diverse Celebrations (Indian Festival Series 1)

Written by Anuja Mohla

Illustrated by Gowthami Maruthapandiyan

This book contains a wealth of information with colorful illustrations about the diversity of life in India. The author covers each of the six major religions practiced in India. This book is organized by month.

Many of these celebrations, however, are based on the lunar calendar. Each page describes which religion is celebrated in that month and discusses the foods, rituals, customs, and types of celebrations. The reader learns native vocabulary and the significance associated with each.

This book is an excellent choice for teachers who want to explain Indian customs and culture and share multicultural traditions. Indian families can use it as a springboard to explain the rich culture of their homeland.

As a teacher, I appreciated the section at the end of the book that includes matching and recalling information about the festivals.

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What is Hanukkah?: Your guide to the fun traditions of the Jewish Festival of Lights (Jewish Holiday Books)

Written by Shari Last

A comprehensive picture book about this Jewish celebration including lots of additional resources. Last provides facts about its basis on the lunar calendar, the history of the Maccabees, the lighting of the menorah, and the word’s many spellings. Going beyond that, she reveals how Hanukkah is celebrated in different countries, foods and recipes, and how to play the dreidel game associated with the holiday.

The illustrations are bright and appealing and the text large enough to read easily for beginning readers. Language is informal and geared to the elementary school age target audience. This book is a good choice to place on a classroom multicultural holiday bookshelf or as a family activity book to celebrate the Hanukkah holiday at home.

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