One way to highlight cultural diversity is to examine different life cycle events. Wedding traditions connect people to their heritage and can easily be shared. Grandma’s Wedding Album, by Harriet Ziefert with painting by Kayla Gudeon (Blue Apple Books, 2011) is an excellent starting point.
Two young children named Emily and Michael sit beside their grandmother as she describes the pictures in her wedding album. Kayla’s illustrations that resemble a photo album go hand-in-hand with the grandmother’s description of her courtship, wedding, and wedding reception. Her skills as a ketubbah designer complement the style of this book.
The non-denominational ceremony provides a generic glimpse of a American wedding. The basic elements of how a couple meets, falls in love, plans a wedding, celebrates a wedding, and leaves for a honeymoon are included. Most should be able to connect with this sequence of events and share special elements that are part of their culture.
To supplement the discussion of weddings, the author and illustrator have included a glossary of wedding customs. This part of the book is both fascinating and informative. It is an excellent resource for anyone seeking a cross-section of information on wedding traditions.
Discussion Topics:
- Celebrating cultural diversity- learning about other cultures
- Recognizing differences and similarities
- Traditions associated with life cycle events
- Weddings
- Relationships- Grandparents and grandchildren
- Recalling family events
- Sharing personal stories
- Importance of picture albums
- Creating a picture album with a story
MAY THIS BE THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE is available on Amazon.
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