Celebration Festival by Alysia Kelly & Ruth-Mary Smith
Debut South Australian author Alysia Kelly has written an engaging introductory picture book for younger readers centred around a number of diverse festivals and special events celebrated throughout the year. Evie, along with her pet dog Biscuit, has been chosen to choose her favourite festival and there are so many to choose from, which one will it be?
Cleverly set up using calendar months beginning with January, where fireworks are mentioned to start off the year, each festival chosen to appear in the book is given its title and where relevant, the country where it takes place. In January there is Pongol in South India where they celebrate the Sun, Mother Nature and farm animals for a good harvest. More quirky January celebrations include Train Your Dog Month as well as Spaghetti Day. February of course mentions Valentine’s Day and the fact that it is Chocolate Month. St Patrick’s Day features in March alongside Wildlife Day and Earth Hour. There is also Biscuit’s favourite day World Sleep Day. In December is the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, and of course Christmas.
As Evie and Biscuit learn about each festival the reader is transported to the colour and joy of the celebrations through the vibrant and fun-filled illustrations. Set against a white background, each image provides a glimpse of the celebration often with humour added including Shark Awareness Day in July, Book Week in August and Nachos Day in November. At the end of the book a number of festivals are mentioned including Easter and Lunar New Year which change dates each year.
Celebration Festival is a timely new release and a wonderful addition to an Early Years learning environment. In the Australian Curriculum, celebrations and cultural events are important to supporting children's learning, understanding and development. This book will be a valuable resource for a school and public library.
Themes: Celebrations, Festivals, Family, Friends, Culture, Diversity, Months of the Year.
Kathryn Beilby