Happy New Year, Everywhere

by Arlene Erlbach, Sharon Lane Holm

As in Happy Birthday, Everywhere , the author-artist team takes a multicultural look at a universal celebration.

Genres: Picture Books

48 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2000

About the author

Arlene Erlbach is the author of more than forty books for young people — both fiction and non fiction. Her first book and first try at writing Does Your Nose Get in The Way, Too? won a Romance Writers of America Award for best Young Adult novel of the year. Her interviews and advice books The Best Friends Book, The Families Book, are recipients of Parent’s Choice awards. “Voice of Youth Advocates” called her Best Friends Book, the ultimate book on friendship. Her Middle School Survival Guide has sold over fifteen thousand copies since Fall of 2003. A Booklist review described it as strong and much needed advice for middle schoolers. The Kids’ Business Book, The Kids’ Volunteering and The Kids’ Invention Book, which are interview / how to books are notable books in social studies. Both The Kids’ Invention Book and the Kids’ Business Book have been book club editions. The Kids’ Invention Book is excerpted in Harcourt Brace’s collection series, which is the bestselling basal series in the United States. Thanksgiving Day Crafts has received the CHILDREN'S CHOICES FOR 2006 award.

Arlene is a careful observer of the school scene. She has been an elementary school teacher for 17 years and is currently working on a second masters degree in education. She was the teen advice columnist for CompuServe’s Wow! and is a frequent speaker at schools.

Series contributed to:
. Crosswinds

Reviews

[Casey Elekes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very good informational read for children. It takes you all around the world and tells you the customs of each country. It states the date of their new year, the name of their new year, and explains their traditions and gives a "how to" section on how you could do their traditions by yourself.

[Allison Turkish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great!

I like how it teaches pronunciation. It teaches the history of humans celebrating a “new year” in different seasons and for different reasons.

So many different countries are represented as well as shown on a map.

Great activities too. Five stars!

[Nikki Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction book encompasses New Year celebrations from countries around the world. This book relates to my topic because it gave me a brief overview of New Year traditions from around the world. I helped me think of differences in celebrations and traditions in the same form versus thinking of one tradition in a fairy tale light, and another in realistic fiction which makes it harder to relate the two. This book interest children because it give the activities, songs and basic knowledge about New Year traditions they probably are not familiar. This book also offers opportunity for thinking, and questioning. It does really have a plot because it is a non-fiction book. It uses simplistic language and wording that the children will understand. The only word and/or phrases that children will need helping reading are the words that are specific to a culture, and do not follow English language rules. The illustrations match the words, and add visual representations that keep the children interested in the reading. Due to the amount of cultures present in this book, it provides students the chance to see different perspectives and values.

[Brickell Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives a cross cultural example of a holiday all over the world.