Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 3. Mexico and the U.S. have much in common, as illustrated by each country's holidays. In this bilingual presentation Tabor introduces several holidays the countries share, such as New Year's Day and St. Valentine's Day, as well as a few particular to one country or the other--for example, Mexico's Day of the Dead. The design seems cluttered, and the text above the pictures doesn't always work well: pairing Thanksgiving with the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe still seems a stretch despite the heading,oining together and feasting, we give thanks. But this warmhearted approach demonstrates people and communities joyously coming together, and the watercolors have a pleasant childlike feel that kids will like. The Spanish used is standard and quite literal, appropriate for the factual presentation, and the Spanish and English texts vary in their placement on the page, encouraging readers to take note of both. --Julie Kline Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Celebrations/Celebraciones: Holidays of the United States of America and Mexico by Nancy Maria Grande Tabor offers a bilingual look at a year's worth of holidays in both nations. In English text and its Spanish translation on each spread, Tabor explains some of the differences and similarities between holiday traditions in each country, with illustrations and statements that encourage children to discover the ways in which they are like those of another cultural background: "We celebrate by sharing who we are-our individuality and our diversity." (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Beginning with New Year's Day, this brief overview of Mexican and American holidays proceeds month by month, through Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day (both Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juarez), Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day/Dia de la Raza, Halloween/Dia de los Muertos, Thanksgiving, Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe, and Christmas. The chronological order follows the holidays of the U.S., but the dates of the corresponding Mexican holidays are clearly stated. The spreads, brightly framed and bordered with small, childlike drawings, contain the English text at the top and corresponding accurate Spanish translation at the bottom. A one-line slogan in both English and Spanish gives a quick, encapsulated explanation of the spirit of the holiday under examination. This limited, but sound overview of two corresponding sets of American holidays in neighboring countries will complement titles treating single holidays, such as George Ancona's Pablo Remembers and Pablo recuerda (both HarperCollins, 1993) and has a place in most school and public library collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This informative bilingual book compares Mexican and American holidays throughout the year. Children will be struck mostly by the similarities rather than the differences in the celebrations of the two cultures. Sloppy-looking illustrations and a busy design weaken the presentation, but the book will be useful for schools looking for this sort of multicultural offering. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
