Once Around the Sun educates and celebrates regarding the festivals that revolve around the Sacred Earth Year. Beginning with the Celtic Samhain festival (Halloween) and moving through the year, the author highlights important characters and terms included in the tales that accompany the festivals. Concluding the book are two recipes, followed by an activity or two for readers of all ages to participate in. Each festival is unique in celebrating its god/goddess for its season.
The author makes her book inviting, engaging, and inclusive for readers. The stories and ceremonies revolve around Mother Earth and deities of various nationalities. I found some of the festivals to be enlightening. I was unfamiliar with the stories yet familiar with some of the activities (i.e., a maypole) but not their origins and the roles they play among those who celebrate its respective season.
The stories and ideas in the book are all secular; regardless of the reader’s opinion on this, they can be used as a learning tool for historical purposes, enjoyable to read as a story, and entertaining to make something unique and creative that might not have been made otherwise except for creative purposes. The illustrations are magical and the added pictures help bring the book and activities to life.
