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Christmas Around the World: A Pop-Up Book    by Chuck Fischer Amazon.com order for
Christmas Around the World
by Chuck Fischer
Order:  USA  Can
Little, Brown & Co., 2007 (2007)
Hardcover

Read an Excerpt

* *   Reviewed by Kerrily Sapet

Many say that Christmas is a magical time. For some it's a time to watch snowflakes fall and put out cookies and milk for Santa Claus. For others around the world traditions are different. Imagine Santa Claus in a blue or brown coat, riding a donkey instead of driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer, or even instead taking the role of a witchlike woman carrying a broomstick. Christmas traditions are rich and varied. Learning about them promises to capture and intrigue readers young and old.

Christmas Around the World by artist Chuck Fischer offers a peek into yuletide traditions in different corners of the world. Especially captivating is Fischer's format, which is becoming ever more popular - pop-up books for older children. Readers turn each page to have large pictures rise up in front of them, whether they're images of London, France, Germany, or Russia. On the edges of the pages readers can lift up flaps to reveal miniature books containing detailed information about the history of Christmas traditions in another country. On the pages about England, Fischer includes information about Father Christmas, Victorian Christmas traditions, a summary of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and some British holiday traditions, like plum pudding, mistletoe, and wassailing. For each country the author includes many photographs and pictures to illustrate just how the holiday is celebrated.

Christmas Around the World is richly illustrated and provides a wealth of information in a fun and interesting manner. Fischer highlights fascinating holiday traditions and shows readers that while the celebrations may differ in some ways, in many they are similar. It's a good lesson at a time of year when many people think of others and perhaps see that we are not so different after all.

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