Book review: Funtastic Festivities, by Kit Lau

by Kit Lau

Joint Publishing (HK)

Thick though it may be, this book is certainly no door stop. Funtastic Festivities by Kit Lau is light, engaging, and full of wonderfully charming illustrations to support its messages. These latter are well laid out across the pages, so text and image go hand in hand, with cute characters and speech bubbles to further guide you through the whole calendar of Chinese festivities.

Part of the Hong Kong Pop Up Series (which has previously explored some of our city's daily life in Hong Kong Pop Up, Land-based Public Transport and Mobile Delights by the Cartful), this book revels in pop-ups. Where else have you seen a "fire-breathing" dragon almost leap off a page? (Red fibre optic strands make this almost life-like.) This very memorable first will have adults and children alike wowing in delight.

Funtastic Festivities is replete with many other magnificent pop-ups - jutting dragon-boat racers, toppling bun towers, lion dancers and temples all unfold out of the pages, to be explored and admired.