Joy to the World!

PreS-Gr 2–A sweet journey around the globe to 13 countries and cultures that features how families celebrate Christmas. The ultra-colorful illustrations fill each page, complete with borders that represent traditional fabrics, tile work, or flora from each country. Readers are pulled into the homes of families celebrating their unique holiday traditions. The rhyming text describes family activities, meal preparations, and special moments, and the engaging illustrations are just the right match. When sharing with the youngest of listeners, adults could easily play “Eye Spy” at each reading, because there are so many details. The book shows multigenerational families enjoying each other’s company, indoors and out, as well as a variety of inclusive family structures. Religious practices and beliefs are acknowledged for some countries, but are not the main focus. Back matter includes more information about each country.