Explore Christmas traditions from 13 different countries! Rhyming text and detailed illustrations make the book accessible to younger readers, while educational endnotes about the 13 celebrations add interest for older children. Gold ink and festive illustrations capture the joy of the season and make this book a beautiful gift in itself. Engaging and informative for anyone who wants to learn about the holiday. Features Christmas traditions from: *Ethiopia *Colombia *Australia *Italy *Serbia *Mexico *India *Iceland *Egypt *Argentina *Philippines *Lebanon *Canada.

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My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

This is a great book to read during the holidays. The first few pages have gorgeous illustrations that are bright and colorful. Each pair of pages have four rhyming lines about a different country. This part of Joy to the World! will definitely appeal to all ages.

The next section explains what Christmas is and then has more information about Christmas in each country. I found this part interesting, and I learned a lot from it. I knew different countries celebrate Christmas in their own way, but I didn’t know many specifics. Imagine living in the Philippines where the Christmas season lasts for almost five months!

I definitely recommend Joy to the World! for Christmas-time reading.

Example of the additional information of one of the countries:

About the Author

Kate DePalma loves making gingerbread houses, decorating the Christmas tree and reading “A Visit from St. Nicholas” aloud by the fire. She has written many books for children, including Let’s Celebrate: Special Days Around the World and Children of the World, which she coauthored with Tessa Strickland. She lives with her family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Sophie Fatus has warm childhood memories of making Christmas puddings in silly shapes and putting toy elephants inside her family’s Nativity scene. She has illustrated many beloved Barefoot Books titles, including Yoga Pretzels, If You’re Happy and You Know It! and My Big Barefoot Book of Wonderful Words. Sophie lives in Florence, Italy, with her partner and two cats.