Remembering the Dead Around the World

November 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-All humans commemorate life's milestones, and this set takes emerging readers to celebrations around the world. Double-page chapters describe how a wide variety of religious groups, subcultures, and nations mark important events, but books are short on background. Some spreads provide limited information about a culture or nation, including locator maps, but others merely describe ceremonies or rites, such as Hindu and Sikh weddings, with little explanation of their religious or cultural significance. The books don't explain the central tenets of world religions such as Islam or Hinduism, reducing the likelihood that readers will understand the importance of these ceremonies and customs. Sidebars, arts and craft projects, and large, average-quality photos supplement the text. VERDICT These volumes demonstrate the universality of celebrations, but there are many extant titles about specific countries, cultures, and religions that cover them in a fuller context, making the series a supplemental purchase.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Grades 3-5 Landmark moments in a life, such as birth, marriage, and death, are celebrated the world over, and the Cultures and Customs series introduces traditions unique to a wide variety of religious and regional communities. A wide variety of death practices from around the world are presented in Remembering the Dead, including some rituals that will likely be totally new to young readers, such as the Zoroastrian stone tower of silence, or the Malagasy famadihana, or turning of the bones, during which families dance with the bones of dead relatives. While the author discusses the slightly gruesome subject matter in a frank, nonsensationalized manner, this volume will likely have more of a draw thanks to the tantalizingly macabre topic. Though each culture's practices are given relatively short shriftjust two pages of fairly shallow, general information on a traditionthe broad scope is rather impressive and should pique the interest of students beginning to research religion and culture. A craft project is a nice addition to the standard back matter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
With clear texts and contemporary color photos, the books will generally inform young middle graders about birth and death rituals practiced by varied religious and cultural groups, but there are occasional lapses. Busy layouts include tiny, difficult-to-read maps. Birth features instructions for making tihu dolls, representing katsinas (Hopi spirits); Dead includes directions for Day of the Dead candy skulls. Reading list. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)