Seven Days of Kwanzaa - Hardcover

Grier, Ella

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1402719396 ISBN 13: 9781402719394

Publisher: Sterling, 2005

Synopsis

Green is for the land.
Red is for the blood.
Black is for the people whom we love.

Harambee--it's Kwanzaa! With joyful songs; recipes for delicious dishes (such as Jambalaya Salad); evocative art; and simple, poetic explanations of principles and symbols, this African-American holiday comes beautifully to life. With stunning stepped pages that feature a kente cloth pattern and pretty foil accents on the cover, it's an eye-catching package. Day by day, the images capture the warmth and togetherness of the week-long celebration, from a beaming little boy and his parents holding the traditional basket of fruit to three youngsters weaving their mkeka, or straw mat. Candles are lighted, stories told, symbolic ears of corn purchased, and handmade gifts or books given. And, throughout, the happiness of people pulling together to make things better shines forth.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2. Stiff pages in progressively gradated widths, each trimmed with an African design, are used to describe the African-American harvest festival. A double-page spread is devoted to each of the seven days of Kwanzaa. It features a full-page painting on the verso and the date and a symbol on the recto along with a song excerpt, a short verse, or an activity related to the principle of the day. Four recipes are appended. Unfortunately, the presentation is uneven. For example, the text for the Third day, which has the principle of "Ujima" (working together), states: "We sweep the yard./We paint the gate./Everything looks better./We are pulling together." But on the Fifth day, with its principle of "Nia" (purpose), the connection is not so obvious: "Here's how we light the candles./First the black, next a red,/then a green, then another red,/and then another green." The verse is followed by an excerpt from "This Little Light of Mine." Like Harriet Ziefert's Eight Days of Hanukkah (Viking, 1997), this book is bright and accessible. Donna L. Washington's The Story of Kwanzaa (HarperCollins, 1996) and Andrea Pinkney's Seven Candles for Kwanzaa (Dial, 1993) both offer lengthier explanations of the holiday for a slightly older audience. A serviceable addition.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sterling
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1402719396
• ISBN 13: 9781402719394
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 24
• Illustrator: Ward John