I’ve already reviewed a couple of ghostly children’s novels this month, and with Halloween creeping ever closer, I have a spooky nonfiction title from Phaidon to review. Spooky Celebrations Around the World by Matt Ralph is not exclusively a Halloween book, but All Hallow’s Eve is definitely going to feature in this lovely round-up of the world’s eeriest traditions.
What Is Spooky Celebrations Around the World?
The book reminds me a little of the Solstice book I reviewed earlier this year. It has rich, vibrant illustrations and travels around the world examining different customs of cultures. It opens with Halloween before bleeding into the Celtic tradition of Samhain, which is celebrated on the same night. (If anybody wants to read an amazing depiction of Samhain, read Jo Walton’s Among Others.)
From there, we move on to the driving out of evil spirits during Japan’s Setsubun, the passing through the Door of No Return in Benin, and, of course, the vibrant Mexican celebration of Día De Muertos.
That is just the beginning. Over 48 pages we’ll be treated to full double-page spreads from 21 different places including spooky traditions from China, Wales, and New Zealand. At the back, there is even another two-page spread with 10 more spooky celebrations to learn about.
Why Read Spooky Celebrations Around the World?
The images I’ve included in this post pretty much sell this book on their own. Veronika Kotyk’s vibrant color drawings are perfect foils for Matt Ralph’s text.
While the book has an obvious appeal during the Halloween season, Spooky Celebrations is a great jumping-off point for learning about other cultures. Awuru Odo in Nigeria, for example, can lead to researching more about the Igbo culture. The book is great because it allows us to see which traditions have influenced others, share the same root, or celebrate the same thing but in a different way.
Many of these traditions center on respect for the dead and how we honor and remember them. While this might get lost in the term “spooky,” the book shows us how reverence for our ancestors is prevalent across the globe.
I love children’s books that take an aspect of life that the child reading can relate to, such as Solstice or Halloween, and show them how their experience might differ in other parts of the globe. Better than that, though, it shows that, despite our differences, many of our experiences are the same. In a world where it seems to be becoming increasingly easy to “other” and point out differences, a book that celebrates those differences whilst highlighting our similarities is to be applauded.
If you would like to pick up a copy of Spooky Celebrations Around the World, you can do so here in the US and here in the UK. (Affiliate Links)
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews.
I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
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