This Turkish wordless picturebook begins with an almost cinematic introduction to the island towns that populate the shores of Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. Readers unfamiliar with this part of the world will be excited by the interesting white-brick architecture that forms the little town as it emerges on the horizon of the beautiful blue sea as each page turns. It is a day of celebration – the main character is a little boy who wants to celebrate his birthday. His excitement to receive a big present is dampened when he opens each layer of wrapping paper to reveal another, smaller present. The children in the town gather round him as he unwraps layer after layer, before reaching the final gift: an egg, which hatches, to reveal a baby bird. This idiosyncratic wordless picturebook creates an opportunity to consider the role of gift-giving in acts of celebration – where do these ceremonies emerge from, and why are they important? This context opens up a broader way to consider ceremony and celebration as core components of community ethos and collective social/cultural identities.
