Embarking on a journey around the world with Claire Grace's "A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals" felt like stepping into a kaleidoscope of cultures, colors, and festivities. With Chris Corr's vibrant illustrations as our guide, this enchanting book turned the pages of time and space, unraveling over 90 delightful festivals that paint the world in joyous hues.

From the outset, the book invites readers on a cultural odyssey, exploring festivals that span the globe. The text, rich with fascinating facts, dances in harmony with Corr's visually arresting illustrations, creating a sensory feast that transcends the confines of the page. As I delved into the narratives of diverse celebrations, each festivity emerged as a unique brushstroke in the masterpiece of global traditions.

The characters in this tale are not confined to individuals; they are the collective spirits of communities rejoicing in their distinctive customs. Thanksgiving dinners with friends and family, the exhilarating chaos of Spain's La Tomatina, the vibrant splashes of color in the Holi festival – every celebration breathes life into the pages, inviting readers to partake in the infectious enthusiasm.

What sets this book apart is its ability to not merely document festivals but to encapsulate the essence of each celebration. Whether it's the reflective moments of Martin Luther King Jr. Day or the exuberant revelry of Chinese New Year, every festival becomes a living, breathing entity, resonating with the heartbeats of those who partake.

The World Full of... series, of which this book is a splendid addition, is a treasure trove for curious minds. It seamlessly weaves together stories from across the globe, fostering an appreciation for diversity and the rich tapestry of human traditions. Grace's narrative and Corr's illustrations combine to create a harmonious celebration of the multitude of ways people come together to honor history, culture, and sheer joy.

In 'A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals,' the world transforms into a grand stage where every festival is a star, twinkling with its own brilliance. This book is not just an exploration; it's an invitation to revel in the joy of shared humanity, one festival at a time.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A wonderful book about different celebrations of festivals around the world. The text is easy enough for young children to understand and full of colorful illustrations. While not a comprehensive collection but there are enough interesting information to keep young minds engaged. Overall, an excellent read and I highly recommend.

After reading this brightly illustrated introduction to holidays and festivals around the world I immediately wanted to purchase a copy for my home. Not only is this a perfect way to teach children about global celebrations, but as an adult, I learned a lot of new things as well. I love that the celebrations are arranged by season and each holiday is explained in a simple yet respectful manner. This would make a great addition to any home or school library.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author, for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.

Beneficial for children in the classroom who have not heard of these holidays and celebrations before.

This is lovely colourful book which can help children learn and understand about all the different holidays and celebrations celebrated by different groups.

4.5★
“Festivals bring people all over the world together. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and get ready to celebrate your way across the globe!”

Oh, how we all wish we could! I’m writing this during the Covid 19 Pandemic, when travel has been severely curtailed, but this book for kids is a colourful reminder that many of these celebrations have been around for centuries, and I suspect a global pandemic will simply modify or postpone them.

I like the way the authors have split the festivals into four seasons. They do mention that the seasons vary, depending where you live, but the descriptions and illustrations depict the seasons in the northern hemisphere, which is where about 90% of the world’s population is.

I’ve taken screenshots of several pages, mostly of international or global holidays and commemorative days, with a few other festivals thrown in for fun. Where I can, I’ve quoted a phrase from the text as a caption. My Goodreads and Amazon reviews include pictures, but here, I can show only the captions.

Picture 1:
“Every year on January 14, the skies of Gujarat, India, are filled with beautiful multicolored kites, fluttering and swaying in the breeze. This rainbow of kites is part of the festival Uttarayan, which marks the day when winter turns to spring, according to the Hindu calendar.”

I didn’t know that the Carnival of Brazil is the biggest festival in the world!

Picture 2:
“Carnival was originally a Catholic festival where people feasted to prepare for the following days of Lent…”

But who can resist the temptation to dress up and celebrate? The rollicking spirit of Carnival has spread around the world, and many of us know it as Mardi Gras. In Australia, we have an extremely popular Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Pride Parade.

Picture 3:
Carnival festivals in Australia, Germany, France, and Italy

International Women’s Day was made official in 1910, following popular marches.

Picture 4:
“In 1908, thousands of women marched through New York City calling for better pay, the right to vote, and shorter working hours and in 1909, the first “National Women’s Day” was held across the USA.”

I admit I was unfamiliar with the real name of the following festival, but there’s no mistaking the colour of the cherry blossoms in Japan!

Picture 5:
“This festival celebrates the beautiful cherry blossom flowers, or ‘sakura,’ which some people believe represent human existence.”

There are festivals for individuals, kings, queens, emperors, world leaders, heroes, many of which are celebrated with a public holiday, always popular with schoolkids and workers, (except during pandemics). I think we should all have a day off for Earth Day, April 22, but maybe it’s too new, having started only in 1970.

Many countries have other special days to celebrate caring for the planet. Have a look at BOOMFEESTDAG on the right, below.

Picture 6:
“More than 115,000 children in the Netherlands celebrate Boomfeestdag. On this day, people are encouraged to plant trees, and in the last 60 years, more than ten million trees have been planted as a result of this festival.”

After all that work, it’s time to party at the music festivals!

Picture 7:
Real music and air guitars around the world

Who could resist a good animal festival?

Picture 8:
“One such festival is the Hermanus Whale Festival. Every September, this three-day festival is held on the Cape Whale Coast in South Africa, dedicated to the larger-than-life southern right whale. Thousands of visitors flock to the area to learn all about these gentle giants and try to get a glimpse of them as they rise to the surface of the water.”

They finish off with a countdown to HAPPY NEW YEAR through the time zones around the world. They begin in Australia with the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and work their way around the globe through Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Moscow, France, London, Rio, New York City, and finish up in Hawaii.

Picture 9:
“Even though the festivities happen at different times across the world because of time differences, the sentiment is the same the world over.”

There is a table of contents and a good glossary at the end, which will help some younger readers. I think this is very informative and a lot of wildly bright good fun!

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A colorful and informative book, aimed towards younger readers. I think it is best enjoyed reading little snippets at a time, maybe holidays matching the month the reader is in currently. Otherwise it can be a bit of an overload of information.
I feel this book would be good for use in school libraries as a reference for learning more about various holidays around the globe. Or if you have a particular interest on festivals and holidays, it would make a welcome addition to any home library.
Overall, a good book.

I thought this was a beautifully done book. I really enjoyed the illustrations and all of the information on each celebration. The celebrations are broken up into season, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. A variety of cultures and countries are showcased across these pages. Each one gives a summary of the day and why it is important as well as a few little tidbits about the day.

This would make a beautiful gift for any child!

A year full of celebrations and festivals by Christopher Corr and Clare Grace published by Frances Lincoln, quarto

What a vibrant and informative tour of the world through festival and celebrations! This book is sure to brighten up any day and give you an excuse to celebrate and rejoice.
The book travels through the year detailing special days, carnivals, religious festivals and celebrations of history. It’s a wonderful reference book and provides a great starting point for children looking at celebrations and festivals.
I love that Earth day, International Women’s day and more obscure celebrations are included.
This is a wonderfully diverse and rich collection of celebrations around the world.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Frances Lincoln for the chance to review this lovely book.

A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals

Ages: 3yrs-9yrs

The first thought in my mind when I saw the book was that it was very colorful and vibrant.
Once I delved deeper I realized that the book covers many international festivals.
The format of the book is heavily picture based and that is what makes it attractive.

Also the author has covered many different festivals from all over the world which makes it unique

What I love about the book

1) The diversity that the book showcases. Ranging from seasons, to festivals in different countries, etc there is a wide range of information covered

2) The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous

3) This is a bookshelf book. Something that you would want to keep on your shelf for years!

I really enjoyed this book!

My instagram: https://instagram.com/our.world.of.words?r=nametag

What a great resource for the classroom.
Within the Australian Curriculum, the HASS unit in Year 3 deals with celebrations:
- Days and weeks celebrated or commemorated in Australia (including Australia Day, Anzac Day, and National Sorry Day) and the importance of symbols and emblems.

- Celebrations and commemorations in places around the world (for example, Chinese New Year in countries of the Asia region, Bastille Day in France, Independence Day in the USA), including those that are observed in Australia (for example, Christmas Day, Diwali, Easter, Hanukkah, the Moon Festival and Ramadan).
Dealing with a lot of schools, I know they will love this book, with everything they need in one place.
This book is set out by season, so it’s not ideal for use in Australia, as our seasons are different. We don’t celebrate Easter or St Patrick’s Day in Spring. To me, it would have made more sense to break it into months of the year.
There’s also a mention of a Queen Elizabeth II Day that we supposedly celebrate in Australia. We don’t call it that, we celebrate what we call, the Queen’s Birthday.
My only other disappointment is that the date of each celebration isn’t very bold or clear. I think that after the name of the celebration, the date is what readers will want to know, so it would have been good if that stood out on the page, instead of being part of the body of the text.
I think it would be useful in the classroom, looking at different celebrations from around the world, what a great way to embrace the multicultural nature of the school community.

A beautifully illustrated book of global celebrations and festivals. This is the type of reference book that will get plenty of use both in the home and at school. It both educates and inspires.

This is a beautifully illustrated book highlighting the many festivals celebrated throughout the world. I think that getting a ebook is a sneaky trick for this visually challenged bestemama. Now I MUST get a print copy so I can read it before giving it to the out of state grandkids!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley.

I didn't think the style of illustration was particularly compelling, and while I was intrigued by the topic, I felt like the selection of holidays was lacking.

Do you know there's a Kite Festival in the world? Or that the Chinese also celebrate Ghost Month as the European celebrate Halloween, but in different time of year? Or a festival named Barunga?

We celebrate different things each month, yet the celebration itself will bring families together and share happiness. There are some festivals dated way beyond our understanding, and some celebrated just recently like Gay Pride.

I also found that it's interesting to learn about those celebrations to understand others' culture better.

This was a cute book full of so many celebrations and stories of holidays I celebrate, ones I had heard of, and ones that I hadn't. It was organized by season with lots of fun pictures, engaging text, and stories that are able to be understood of people of all ages. There may have been some formatting issues with my copy as some of the text and bubbles didn't line up, but it was still beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the digital advance reading copy of A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals.

First, I love the fact that you included Newgrange in your book and you made it the highlight of your Winter Solstice page, that is awesome. I have taken the Newgrange tour and it is a really cool experience.

I like that this book contains a lot of smaller festivals alongside the bigger, well known festivals. This book will provide a stepping stone for families to learn about new places, cultures, and celebrations, and maybe even plan a trip or two to visit some of these festivals.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is in January, therefore this should fit within the winter category. It seems oddly placed at then end of the spring section.

A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals is a brightly coloured book about festivals and celebrations that happen around the world. This book overs a brief insight into the celebrations it features. There is a nice spread of festival types and celebrations from around the world.

The book is sorted by seasons, which is nice for the grouping but doesn’t work so well for us in the Southern Hemisphere, as the sorting is done by the Northern Hemisphere seasons. The book does make reference to this though, saying things like if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, this festival will be celebrated in summer not winter. Celebrations included range from the more well known to the obscure, including religious festivals and days, Pride festivals, Earth and environmental festivals, and special days that celebrate historic figures.

There is not a great deal of information provided about each festival, day or celebration, so this book is more useful as an overview or introduction rather than a source that would be good for research. It would be perfect for students who are unsure about which celebration to research and allow them a brief overview of many celebrations.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.