FICTION

The Night Before Kwanzaa

by Natasha Wing & Kirsti Jewel (text) & illus. by Amy Wummer
Grosset & Dunlap. (The Night Before). Oct. 2023. 32p. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780593519752.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3–The latest installment in the “The Night Before” series, which deals with holidays and common experiences in children’s lives, this time focuses on Kwanzaa. A young boy is excited because his grandmother is visiting for Kwanzaa. With her and the rest of the family, the boy takes readers through the holiday. Each page tells the meaning of a different object, food, or tradition used during the celebration. The text provides the Swahili word and pronunciation of each candle in the kinara, and then describes the meaning. The material is accurate and well-constructed, but there is nothing special or unique that creates any excitement. All the books in the series use the same style of illustrations, which is unfortunate when considering the diversity of the topics.
VERDICT This book will not inspire curiosity about Kwanzaa, nor does it have characters or a story that children will connect with.
Reviewed by Peggy Henderson Murphy , Sep 01, 2023

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Maddie and Mabel Ready for Snow
by Allen, Kari
BOOKS

Welcome to the Woofmore
by Gephart, Donna & Lori Haskins Houran
BOOKS

Eleven Houses
by Oakes, Colleen
BOOKS

Don’t Let the Forest In
by Drews, CG
BOOKS

Summer Nights and Meteorites
by Reynolds, Hannah
BOOKS

A Vile Season
by Ferraro, David
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?