  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2018 *Starred Review* This celebration of new year celebrations around the world is itself worth celebrating. Readers must turn the book on its side to enjoy the wall-calendar dimensions of each spread, all of which feature a short, gently rhyming poem told from an individual child’s point of view about commemorations from Times Square to Chile, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Jordan, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain, and Thailand. They’re organized chronologically across the Gregorian calendar, as a piece about Wep Ronpet (as marked in ancient Egypt and now some U.S. communities) explains: “Everyone believes in a different beginning. / The Year may start for me, for you, anew in January, April, May, / or in some other month, on some other day. . . . But what is true and what is clear is that all of us hope for a luminous year.” The collage illustrations, using paper sourced from across the globe, are spectacular, with culturally distinctive elements yet a consistent style, and the back matter is stellar and solid, with additional information, pronunciations, a map, and thorough source notes. This complete package is an illuminating and respectful appreciation of both our global uniqueness and our commonality. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 04/01/2018 Gr 3–6—A rich compendium of poetry, collage, and cultural and historical information on various New Year celebrations from a celebrated poet. Formatted to resemble a calendar, the book is to be held horizontally with the top page of each spread depicting a scene and the bottom one, the poem. (With the labeled monthly scenes, from December on to the next December, educators might be tempted to actually hang this on the wall for ongoing use and enjoyment.) Singer's opening poem, rephrased at the end, acknowledges the turning of the year. ("We choose the date./From the earth's movement,/from the moon's phases,/these clocks and calendars/we create.") Sixteen poems are written from the perspective of children and detail events such as Año Viejo, the ball drop in New York City, the first day of Muharram, Rosh Hashanah, and more. Roth skillfully assembles myriad colorful papers in broad swatches and tiny bits, some skillfully cut and others torn, into bright, busy views. People gather around the holiday table, smash pots, dance, splash water, and much more. Quieter opening and closing views of Earth in space and the vivid red dragon are here, too. The substantial end materials include a page explaining calendar history and variation, a list of New Year's greetings from each country, five full pages of background information about each celebration, a glossary of terms used in the verse, and a long list of the author's sources. VERDICT A complex and rewarding package that will be cherished by children and adults alike. A strong choice for poetry collections.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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