Harvest Festivals Around the World (Messner Multicultural Library)

Explains how harvest festivals are celebrated in different parts of the world and offers instructions on creating typical festival crafts

Grade 2-5?This book provides a brief look at ancient and contemporary celebrations and presents a relatively simple activity for each of them. After a short introduction and directions on transferring harvest symbols onto paper or cloth, Corwin keys in on 15 festivals, including those of the Hopi, French Canadians, Incas, English, Egyptians, Israelis, Nigerians, Japanese, Chinese, and East Indians. She gives a bit of background information followed by a page or two detailing a craft (Hopi Corn Dance dolls, African harvest mask, a miniature succah) or baking project (apple cake, Swiss onion soup, Chinese mooncakes). Generally, the synopses are clear, but the author's attempt to compress the Native American calendar (13 moons) into our Gregorian 12-month calendar is confusing. Also, there are no pronunciation guides or maps. Craft instructions are understandable; adult supervision is suggested for the cooking projects. The pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork is brightly colored and in the style of the culture being discussed. Ralph Whitlock's Thanksgiving and Harvest (Rourke, 1987; o.p.) and Bobbie Kalman's We Celebrate Harvest (Crabtree, 1986) cover many of the same festivals, but with more detailed text. With today's hands-on approach to learning, Corwin's book makes a useful addition.?Peg Glisson, Dewitt Road School, Webster, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-6, younger with adult supervision. Corwin, whose resumeincludes a long list of traditional holiday craft books, takes on the celebration of "harvest festivals around the world." Emphasizing ancient civilizations and indigenous peoples, the 15 activities include a good number of recipes (safety precautions are duly noted), projects for masks, dolls, and paper flowers, and crafts incorporating the always popular hieroglyphics. The background information about complex cultural practices is sometimes misleading, and typographical errors also bespeak a careless approach. Still, for libraries needing extra materials on the topic, this is a practical, attractive purchase and may be useful for bringing a global perspective to thanksgiving festivities in the classroom. Julie Corsaro