Brief introduction to the holiday, followed by a recipe and bibliography.

This book does a great job at explaining what each day of Kwanzaa means. While, it does not go into detail about how it originated or where it is from, it is a great introduction to the holiday. It even provided a traditional recipe in the back!

SUMMARY: Through rhythmic prose, a family recounts the traditions and history of Kwanzaa.

REVIEW: I think this a good book for children to read when learning about holidays. Kwanzaa is one of the lesser-known holidays of modern American culture, and because of this there are very few books written about it. This book does a good job of explaining the traditions of Kwanzaa through a rhythmic, almost poetic-like structure that repeats on every page. The book also defines many common terms used during the Kwanzaa celebration, and even has a recipe in the back inspired by the holiday. Children will also love the beautiful artwork used in the book. ( )

The Sound of Kwanzaa
By: Dimitrea Tokunbo
Awards: n/a
This very short but sweet book introduces the seven important principles of the African-American holiday Kwanzaa. There's no plot here -- just a song-like recitation of each of the principles that begins each time with, "Come close, gather 'round./Listen to the sound of Kwanzaa." The extremely bright and vibrant pictures are eye catching and beautiful to look at. The text is rather long, so I would recommend this to a slightly older audience, of ages 7-11. It is extremely educational, and it would be good for a story time in a school or a library, to teach children about cultural diversity, and to give recognition that there is more to celebrate at this time of year than Christmas. It would also be good for parents who celebrate Kwanzaa read this book out loud to their children, to teach them about their beliefs in a fun way. Although the whole text is written in a song, the tune is not easy to guess or make up. There could have been a bit more of a rhythm of the words so it would be slightly more enjoyable to read. ( )

Hynes Library:
A simplest description of what Kwanzaa means and what each candle represents. There are also the African words for the different words associated with the holiday. ( )