Festival Folk: An Atlas of Carnival Customs and Costumes

Bright and intensely vivid colors draw the eye to this collection of graphically luminescent figures with their accoutrements that play roles in the numerous folk festivals recorded here. Many of the carnival fetes described are related to religious events, such as Easter, Lent, Ash Wednesday; others have pagan origins, and many celebrate the yields of harvest. Rob Flowers, the author and illustrator, reveals his enchantment with the costumes and regalia associated with these festivities in his bewitchingly engaging drawings and stories. Drawn from four continents, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, the reader can learn about the Bolivian Oruro Carnaval with their colorfully intimidating devils and hosts of native animals. On Sunday before Ash Wednesday, join the Croatians in a costumed and masked march to drive out the evil spirits of winter, or closer to home, observe the ragged noisemakers of our Mardi Gras. While these festival stories vary, some themes prevail in the use of giants, paper mâché bloated heads, varieties of devil masks, use of natural materials and animal skins, and noisy cowbells, with fire as the finale. These dramatic and dazzling descriptions of local festivities will inspire deeper scrutiny of the drawings, arouse youngsters’ imaginations, and most certainly inspire imitation of the many creatures portrayed.