A simple way to get acquainted with Kwanzaa. "Hooray! Hooray! It's time to get ready for Kwanzaa." During the seven days of Kwanzaa, we celebrate the importance of family, friends, and community. This warm and lively introduction to a very special holiday will help even the youngest children join in! Author and illustrator Karen Katz's wonderful series of picture books for the very young offer a simple and fun way to get familiar with the traditions of holiday celebrations from different cultures. Editorial Reviews The perfect introduction to Kwanza for the younger set." -Black Issues Book Review "The specifics, the simple words, and the active pictures combine to convey the wider sense of community that is the essence of the holiday." -Booklist "A solid, sweet, and meaty choice for holiday reading." -Kirkus Reviews "The simple text and colorful folkloric illustrations with vivid patterns make this a good book to share with young children." -School Library Journal "The tale radiates warmth and quietly builds up to the dramatic dragon dance and the traditional greeting of ‘Gung Hay Fat Choy!' The collage illustrations, cut from paper with colorful Asian designs, also include paint and other media to capture the joyful celebrants. This is a clear introduction to the holiday that young children will enjoy in one-on-one or group read-alouds." -School Library Journal on My First Chinese New Year "This one's a winner." -Kirkus Reviews on My First Chinese New Year - From the Publisher PreS-Gr 2-A round-faced, happy little girl tells about her family's Kwanzaa celebration. The simple text and colorful folkloric illustrations with vivid patterns make this a good book to share with young children. Adults will appreciate the brief note about the holiday and the phonetic spelling of the Swahili words. Juwanda G. Ford's K Is for Kwanzaa: A Kwanzaa Alphabet Book (Scholastic, 1997) has a similar appeal, but the narrative format of Katz's title makes it more appropriate for storytimes.-V. W. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal With colorful collage and mixed-media illustrations alongside brief, yet informative text, Katz's latest offers youngsters an engaging introduction to the African-American holiday. She tells the story through the eyes of a young girl celebrating with her family. In the opening pages, the child, cherubic and round-faced, explains traditional elements, such as the kinara, or candleholder, in which seven candles, one for each day of Kwanzaa, are placed. Next, the girl explains the significance of each day and the "special idea" it represents. Umoja, or unity, for example, is honored on day one. (The Swahili name for each day, its pronunciation and translation, prefaces each section; various other Swahili words are interspersed throughout.) A solid, sweet, and meaty choice for holiday reading. (Picture book. 2-5) - Kirkus Reviews