birthdays around the world

WRITTEN BY MARGRIET RUURS

ILLUSTRATED BY ASHLEY BARRON

Everyone in the world has a birthday. But birthdays are not celebrated in the same way everywhere. Meet Mercedes in Peru, who eats a cake and a purple pudding called mazamorra morada. Ieva in Latvia is raised in the birthday chair, one lift for each year. And rather than celebrating his own birthday, Phúc Khang in Vietnam joins in the festivities during Tet, when everyone in the country turns one year older. Based on interviews with real people, these unique stories are compiled by award-winning author Margriet Ruurs to tell how seventeen children from all around the globe celebrate a birthday, including how they each say happy birthday in their native language. Following the memorable stories, activities in the end matter encourage children to compare their own birthday traditions with the ones they have learned about in the book.

• Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College

• Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre

• “An easy, enjoyable way to start thinking about similarities and differences around the world.” Kirkus Reviews

• “A cheerful, inviting introduction to birthdays.” Booklist

• “A good choice for introductory conversations about cultural differences.” School Library Journal