Happy Birthday! American Girl is a Random House Books American Girl publication and Little Golden Book focused on various Historical Characters and their birthday celebrations (often as seen in the Central Series in the birthday books or celebrations).
Contents[]
The book starts by explaining about birthdays and how children celebrate birthdays in their own way, before it focuses briefly on the birthday celebrations of several historical characters.
- Courtney Moore has a sleepover with her favorite things and best friend Sarah Barrett, followed the next day by a birthday party at the roller rink.
- Melody Ellison--whose birthday is the first day of the year--attends a celebration at church on New Year's Eve to ring in the new year. On New Year's Day Melody celebrates by dancing to records and blowing out ten candles, and her best surprise is a visit from Dwayne who is on tour with his band.
- Molly McIntire shares her birthday celebration with Emily Bennett, who is staying with the McIntires. They have a tea party like Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of England, and there are lemon tarts with the tea and twin puppies as gifts for them.
- Nanea Mitchell's sister Mary Lou sends her on a scavenger hunt ending in a birthday picnic on the beach with her ohana; they also go fishing and she is gifted presents, including a camera.
- Rebecca Rubin has a surprise party, but then has an even bigger surprise--visiting a movie studio, where she gets to play a small role in a film.
- Samantha Parkington had planned homemade ice cream. However, Eddie Ryland tries to ruin things by salting the ice cream. But there are still petit-fours and lemonade, and her aunt's puppy Jip.
- Addy Walker's family make their own traditions after escaping from slavery. They celebrate with homemade ice cream, cherry pies, and ginger soda. Addy loves her gift of jump ropes but being safe and free with family is the best gift of all.
- Kirsten Larson, on her birthday, is gifted a new apron, a quilt, and a pair of grey kittens. There is a heart-shaped cake and she wears a traditional Swedish flower crown. In the evening is a barn raising celebration and she dances with her papa.
- Josefina Montoya is woken up on her birthday with a song by her family, including her goat, Sombrita. That night there is a party with meat turnovers, tarts, and candied fruit. Papá tells everyone about how he was proud of Josefina's caring and kindness. As her family speaks Spanish, she is wished "Feliz Cumpleaños".
- Felicity Merriman finds a vase of flowers on the table for her birthday and her grandfather gifts her a guitar that was once her grandmother's, which she wants to show to Elizabeth as soon as she can.
The book closes saying that birthdays are fun and unique and asks the reader how they would want to celebrate their own.
Trivia[]
- Celebrations for Caroline Abbott, Kit Kittredge, Maryellen Larkin, and Julie Albright are not seen. Kaya'aton'my did not have a unique birthday celebration, and celebrations for Marie-Grace Gardner and Cécile Rey are not given in books to reference.
- Ana Montoya is illustrated wearing the camisa from Josefina's Weaving Outfit.
- The characters are discussed in reverse chronological order.
See Also[]
- Happy Holidays! American Girl
- Making a Difference! American Girl
- Time for School! American Girl
- Grandmas Are the Best! American Girl