Solstice, Yule, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Zagmuk, Saturnalia… Throughout the world, numerous celebrations happen this time of the year, based on religious beliefs, tradition, newness, or a mixture of them all.

The Winter Book, a title I came across recently, does a great job of representing the diversity of the season in the northern hemisphere—where the cold weather evokes the secular images of snowflakes, candles and evergreen trees… Illustrated by renowned German artist Rotraut Susanne Berner, with poems/text by Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Thoreau, Italo Calvino, Alberto Moravia, Adwoa Badoe and others, this book is a treat that can be best enjoyed if shared with others—preferably under the covers.

And speaking of diversity and treats to be shared, “Memories of Holidays Past,” a snapshot by writers and illustrators put together specially for PaperTigers, highlights a range of experiences: from full-blown Christmas trees to a turkey meal that gets outstaged by a Vietnamese one… Not to be missed!

Posted by: Aline | This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Eventful World, Reading the World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Tags: diversity, family traditions, holiday traditions, The Winter Book