In this photographic alphabet, the author introduces young readers to some of the customs, religions and cultures – both ancient and modern – that make up this fast-developing country. Focusing on both city and country life, this is a celebration of Pakistan in all its aspects, from dhobi to jasmine, from hijab to water buffalo.
customs
The Aztecs (Worlds Of The Past)
Describes the history and customs of the Aztec civilization from its beginnings to its conquest by Spanish explorers.
My Grandmother’s Stories: A Collection of Jewish Folk Tales
These are stories within stories: the narrator remembers herself as a young child hearing them from her grandmother, as they cooked, hung up laundry, prepared for the Sabbath, or cleaned house for Passover. This framing of the stories emphasizes their continuing pleasure across generations; and customs, idioms, traditions, even recipes that the Jews brought with them from Eastern Europe are an unobtrusive part of the telling.
Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story
This fascinating picture book biography tells the childhood story of Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Indian born around 1839. Through her true story, readers will learn what it was like to be part of this Native American community that lived along the Missouri River in the Dakotas, a society that depended more on agriculture for food and survival than on hunting. Children will relate to Buffalo Bird Girl’s routine of chores and playing with friends, and they will also be captivated by her lifestyle and the dangers that came with it.
Using as a resource the works of Gilbert L. Wilson, who met Buffalo Bird Woman and transcribed her life’s story in the early 20th century, award-winning author-illustrator S. D. Nelson has captured the spirit of Buffalo Bird Girl and her lost way of life. The book includes a historical timeline.
Brazil
Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns
In simple rhyming text a young Muslim girl and her family guide the reader through the traditions and colors of Islam.
Clara and the Curandera
Clara’s grumpiness leads her mother to take her to a neighbor who is a curandera, or healer, and although she is puzzled by her “treatment,” Clara dutifully helps her neighbors, is kind to her siblings, and reads more books for a week.
Meet Mindy
Details a day in the life of an Arizona girl of Hopi descent, looking at her family, the history of her tribe, and some traditional ceremonies and customs that are still observed today.
One Little Chicken
How much work can one little chicken be? When Leora finds a chicken in her front yard, she imagines keeping it as a pet and gathering eggs for breakfast every morning. But her mother has a very different view. Following a Jewish law that says “finders aren’t keepers,” Mrs. Bendosa is determined that the family should care for the chicken just until its rightful owner returns. Soon, however, one little chicken becomes a flock of chickens, a flock of chickens becomes two goats, two goats become a herd of goats…until—Oh! What a house! Elisa Kleven’s detailed folk art brings Elka Weber’s humorous retelling of a traditional tale to life and promises to leave readers pondering the adage, “finders, keepers.”
Brazil: The People
This book explores how the history, climate, geography, and religion of Brazil have shaped the customs and practices of modern daily life for some of the poorest and some of the wealthiest people in South America.