Picture Book Month: Celebration Booklist
Click on the book cover to access the library’s copy of each title.
Peg + Cat: The Eid al-Adha Adventure
by Jennifer Oxley
Peg and Cat are visiting their friends Yasmina and Amir during a very special holiday, Eid al-Adha. Everyone is excited to don their best duds, exchange presents, and eat a yummy feast divided into equal parts--one-third for family, one-third for friends and neighbors, and one-third for those in need. But Cat isn't so sure about giving all that deliciousness away. Can more generosity and less honey cake equal happiness for Cat? Eid Mubarak!
The Gift of Ramadan
by Rabiah York Lumbard
Sophie tries to fast for Ramadan for the first time, but her grumbling stomach and her little brother's cookies are too much and she must find a different way to celebrate.
Festival of Colors
by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal
Siblings Chintoo and Mintoo collect flowers and press the petals into a fine powder as they prepare for Holi, the Indian springtime Festival of Colors. Includes author's note.
Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border
by Mitali Perkins
When Maria, Juan, and their mother go to the border between California and Mexico to visit their grandmother at Christmas, Maria must devise a way to get Juan's gift over the fence.
Shubh Diwali!
by Chitra Soundar
One family celebrates the Hindu festival of lights.
A Dog Named Haku: a holiday story from Nepal
by Margarita Engle with Amish Karanjit and Nicole Karanjit
During a Hindu festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, brothers Alu and Bhalu search for a dog they can honor with food and gratitude. Includes glossary of Nepali words and suggested activities.
Thanking the Moon: celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
by Grace Lin
Each member of a Chinese family contributes to the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Includes author's note explaining this festival's customs and traditions.
Natsumi!
by Susan Lendroth
The festival of traditional Japanese arts is coming up, and little Natsumi's big personality is too much for her family's quieter traditions, until her grandfather introduces her to taiko drumming.
Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas
by Pamela Ehrenberg
A boy is worried that his little sister's climbing will spoil the first night of Hanukkah, when his family combines his father's Jewish traditions with his mother's East Indian cooking.
Coming soon!
Julián at the Wedding
by Jessica Love
Julián and his abuela are going to a wedding. Better yet, Julián is in the wedding. Weddings have flowers and kissing and dancing and cake. And this wedding also has a new friend named Marisol. It’s not long before Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side.
Grandma’s Tiny House: a Counting Story
by JaNay Brown Wood
In rhyming text, when the whole family and guests show up for the big dinner at Grandma's house, it becomes clear that the house is much too small to hold them all.
Around the Table That Grandad Built
by Melanie Heuiser Hill
In a unique take on the cumulative classic "This Is the House That Jack Built," a family gathers with friends and neighbors to share a meal around a table that brims with associations: napkins sewn by Mom, glasses from Mom and Dad's wedding, silverware gifted to Dad by his grandma long ago. Not to mention the squash from the garden, the bread baked by Gran, and the pies made by the young narrator (with a little help).
Around the Passover Table
by Tracy Newman
Passover is here! And that means we hold a seder. This special holiday feast includes reading and singing, laughing and eating! Let's gather together with friends and family to celebrate.
Home for Chinese New Year: a story told in English and Chinese
by Wei Jie and Xu Can
Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions. This Chinese children's story tells a delightful trip with lots of cultural details along the way!
Shanté Keys and the New Year's Peas
by Gail Piernas-Davenport
When Shanté is sent to find black-eyed peas for her family's New Year's celebration, she learns about each of her neighbor's New Year's traditions in their home countries.
Eight Candles and a Tree
by Simone Bloom Nathan
Sophie introduces her blend of Hanukkah and Christmas traditions to her friend Tommy. Tommy joins Sophie's family as they eat latkes, light candles in the menorah, and play with dreidels next to their dazzling Christmas tree.
The Nian Monster
by Andrea Wang
The legendary Nian monster has returned at Chinese New Year. Nian is intent on devouring Shanghai, starting with young Xingling! But Xingling is clever and thinks quickly to outwit him with Chinese New Year traditions
More Than Enough: A Passover Story
by April Halprin Wayland
Illustrations and simple text portray children and their family as they prepare for, then celebrate, a Passover seder with foods, games, songs, and even a sleepover.
Nabeel's New Pants: an Eid Tale
by Fawzia Gilani-Williams
While buying gifts for his family to wear to the mosque on Eid a shoemaker is persuaded to get new pants for himself, but the only pair available is too long and no one seems to have time to shorten them.
Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail
by Lesléa Newman
Inside the house, a boy prepares for the Passover ritual of welcoming Elijah--meanwhile, outside the house, a kitten lingers in the cold.
Before We Eat: From Farm to Table
by Pat Brisson
As a family sits down to enjoy a meal, thoughts of those who provide the food, from farmers who plant and tend seeds to store clerks who sell groceries, fill each one with gratitude.
Coming soon!
Our Favorite Day of the Year
by A.E. Ali
A heartwarming story following a group of boys from different backgrounds throughout the school year as they become the best of friends.
Fiesta Babies
by Carmen Tafolla
Babies enjoy the colorful fiesta with singing, dancing, hugs, and kisses.
Our Celebración
by Susan Middleton Elya
A brief rain shower does not dampen a Latino family's enjoyment of their town's parade and summer celebration, which includes street food, bands, a corn princess, and fireworks. Spanish words, interspersed in the rhyming text, are defined in a glossary.
Baby's Firsts
by Nancy Raines Day
Told in rhyming text, the story traces the development of three babies from birth to their first birthday celebrations.