1. Read about Rites of Passage: Happy Birthday, Everywhere! By Arlene Erbach
Books for children & parents A nonfiction look at birthday celebrations for in
various cultures and time periods for
New Baby Traditions intermediate grades. (Grades 2 through 4)
On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier Birthdays Around the World by Mary Lankford
A classic picture book celebrating the birth of a Another nonfiction look at birthday celebrations
baby and relating it to natural phenomena. for in various cultures and time periods for
(Grades PS through 3) intermediate grades. (Grades 3 through 5)
Welcome Dede!: An African Naming Ceremony
by Ifeoma Onyefulu Other Family & Cultural Traditions
Told from the viewpoint of a young boy in Family Celebrations by Diane Patrick
Ghana, this picture book shares a new baby
tradition in an African community. (Grades K Discusses family celebrations at various stages
through 3) in our lives, including birth, coming-of-age,
marriage, and death. (Grades 2 through 5)
The Naming of Tishkin Silk by Glenda Mallard
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby Beeler
A young boy believes a naming ceremony for Explores cultural traditions surrounding losing
the new baby will bring his family together. teeth. (Grades 1 through 4)
(Grades 2 through 4)
A Season for Mangoes by Regina Hanson
Birthday Traditions
Sareen participates in her first sit-up, a
A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake by Debra celebration of the life of her recently deceased
Frasier grandmother in her Jamaican community.
(Grades K through 3)
Connects the passage of time between birthdays
with the orbiting earth. - Includes a recipe for a Fiesta Dress by Caren McCormack
cake. (Grades PS through 3)
A young girl watches the preparations for her
Every Year on Your Birthday by Rose Lewis older sister's quinceanera. (Grades K through 2)
A mother and adopted daughter look back on the
child's life on her fifth birthday. (Grades PS Coming of Age
through 1)
Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah: The Ceremony, the
The Birthday Book by Tina Forrester Party, and How the Day Came to Be by Bert
Metter
A nonfiction look at birthday celebrations in
various cultures and time periods. (Grades K A basic introduction for non-Jewish kids.
through 3) (Grades 3 through 6)

2. Celebrating a Quinceanera: A Latina's 15th For Parents
Birthday Celebration by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
The Book of New Family Traditions: How to
th
Follows a family as they celebrate a girl's 15 Create Great Rituals for Holidays and
birthday. (Grades 3 through 6) Everydays by Meg Cox
It's Your Rite: Girls' Coming of Age Stories by Discusses the importance of ritual & tradition,
Nora Coon and provides many examples based on religious,
cultural, and secular holidays.
Various girls tell of the events that marked their
coming of age. Includes advice for coming of Mother Rising by Yana Cortlund
age ceremonies. (Grades 6 and up)
A pagan-based book that helps mother-to-be
plan a blessingway to honor their journey into
Passage of Time & Milestones motherhood.
Someday by Alison McGhee Blessingways: A Guide to Mother-Centered
Baby Showers by Shari Maser
A sentimental picture book that follows a
mother & daughter from the baby's birth through Following traditions that honor the mother-to-be
several coming-of-age moments. (Grades PS as they prepare for the birth of the baby.
through 1)
Moon Mother, Moon Daughter: Myths & Rituals
Thanksgiving With Me by Margaret Willey that Celebrate a Girl's Coming of Age by Janet
Lucy
While they wait for relatives to arrive for
Thanksgiving, a mother and daughter remember Explores various cultures coming of age
Thanksgivings past. (Grades PS through 1) traditions for girls. Includes activities and
suggestions for mothers and daughters to bond
The Growing-Up Tree by Vera Rosenberry based on myths.
A mother plants an apple tree when her son is a Bless This Child: A Comprehensive Guide to
baby, and the boy and the tree grow up together Creating Baby Blessing Ceremonies by Susanna
for a picture book that explores the passage of Macomb
time. (Grades PS through 2)
This guide, written by a Christian minister, is
Birthday Tree by Paul Fleischman intended to help families of various faiths (or
none) create a “spiritual” welcoming ceremony
When a family plants a tree at the birth of a for their baby.
baby, they find that the tree and the child have a
fantastic connection as the boy grows up.
(Grades 2 through 5)
Bibliography created by Mindy Rhiger, MLS
March 2012