Come and Join Us!: 18 Holidays Celebrated All Year Long

by Liz Kleinrock, Chaaya Prabhat (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet kids who share how they celebrate holidays all year long—perfect for discussions about de-centering winter holidays!

Who says the holidays only happen in the winter? Every day’s a holiday when you live in a world as diverse as ours! From Juneteenth to Vesak, and Yom Kippur to Día de las Muertos, the festivities never end.

Come and join us and learn about eighteen holidays celebrated by a diverse group of children in this inviting and joyful picture book written by renowned antibias and antiracist educator, Liz Kleinrock of Teach and Transform, with vibrant illustrations by Chaaya Prabhat.

This book is useful for discussing holidays in the classroom and can be an enjoyable resource for making sure no one holiday is more valued than the other.

Holidays featured include: Seollal, Holi, Nowruz, Passover, Vaisakhi, Vesak, Juneteenth, Homecoming, Onam, Obon, Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur, Makahiki, Día de los Muertos, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063144477
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	194,017
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Liz Kleinrock is an author, antibias antiracist educator, consultant, and facilitator for schools, organizations, and companies across the country. A transracial adoptee, Liz was born in South Korea and grew up in Washington, DC. She is the author of Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community and Come and Join Us! 18 Holidays Celebrated All Year Long, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. She resides in Washington, DC, with her partner and two bunnies and advocates for a more equitable world through her work with Teach and Transform. You can learn more about her work at lizkleinrock.com.

Chaaya Prabhat is a graphic designer, illustrator, and lettering artist. After completing her MA in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design, she is now working independently in Chennai, India. She is the illustrator of several books including A Sari for Ammi written by Mamta Nainy; Bracelets for Bina's Brothers written by Rajani LaRocca; and Hide and Seek History: Ancient Egyptians written by Jonny Marx.

Editorial Reviews

A beautiful book meant to be shared and inspire discussion.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Prabhat brings each holiday to life with beautiful, vibrant illustrations that capture important cultural details like clothing, food, and decorations. An important read to support equity in discussions around holidays.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2023

K-Gr 5—On the opening page, a teacher and her students sit in a circle. They take turns describing holidays they celebrate with their families. The first holiday description acknowledges that these are celebrations that do not just take place in a certain part of the world, but wherever these families live: "Even though we are far from our families across the ocean, my cousins and I wear our hanbok and honor our ancestors." Another valuable addition are questions on each page to encourage students to engage with the book and make personal connections. The uniqueness of this book is that it is not holidays around the world. Instead, it is holidays celebrated by families of different cultures, religions, and traditions. Prabhat represents 18 children and their celebrations in gorgeous color and detail that will engage young people. With a high reading level, this is a book to be shared with, not read by, early readers. A glossary in the back defines some of the terminology used in the descriptions of each holiday. VERDICT A beautiful book meant to be shared and inspire discussion. Purchase for all library shelves.—Peggy Henderson Murphy

School Library Journal

2023-09-09
Join a classroom of children as they describe festivities from faith and cultural traditions around the world.

An unnamed, Asian-presenting teacher and a diverse group of elementary school students sit in a circle ready to share some of the holidays they and their families observe. The kids acknowledge that many people associate holiday celebrations with “winter, decorated trees, and everything colored red and green.” But they invite readers to experience 18 celebrations that take place throughout the year, from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to Diwali to Juneteenth and much more. The description of each festivity is followed by a question; for instance, “What VALUES are uplifted on your holidays?” From the candles and flowers with which Buddhists decorate their homes on Vesak to the ofrenda of Día de los Muertos, Prabhat brings each holiday to life with beautiful, vibrant digital illustrations that capture important cultural details like clothing, food, and decorations. Careful readers will notice a little white cat who appears on nearly every page—a fun, whimsical detail. While the author’s note rightfully acknowledges that it’s impossible to include every nonwinter holiday, the book features good representation across groups, making it an appropriate classroom tool to foster an inclusive environment. A helpful glossary defines potentially unfamiliar terms.

An important read to support equity in discussions around holidays. (Informational picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews