Hoyt-Goldsmith follows a young boy, Ibraheem, and his family during Ramadan. To make this holy month understandable, the author has included some background information about Islam in sidebars and integrated into the text. People of diverse cultural backgrounds practice Islam in the US; this variety is demonstrated in the text throughout the book and reinforced in the photographs of the celebration of Eid al-Fitr in the family’s mosque in Princeton, New Jersey. Pronunciation of Arabic words and phrases is given in parentheses inserted into the text. There are both glossary and index, but no bibliography. The book is illustrated with clear, often charming, full-color photographs and one map. But the work does have its flaws. The status of women in Islam, a fairly complex subject, is reduced to one sentence. Captions on some photographs could have been clearer and more consistent. For example, one picture of a young girl with henna designs on her hands is included, but the correct term for this art form, mehndi, is not given. Despite omissions and minor inconsistencies, Celebrating Ramadan provides a respectful, if superficial, introduction to Islam and Ramadan’s importance in that religious practice. It can’t help but be useful to librarians and teachers because of the rapidly increasing numbers of Islamic people in the US and the scarcity of books for children on the subject. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8234-1581-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2001
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
In a snowbound Swiss village, Matti figures it’s a good day to make a gingerbread man. He and his mother mix a batch of gingerbread and tuck it in the oven, but Matti is too impatient to wait ten minutes without peeking. When he opens the door, out pops a gingerbread baby, taunting the familiar refrain, “Catch me if you can.” The brash imp races all over the village, teasing animals and tweaking the noses of the citizenry, until there is a fair crowd on his heels intent on giving him a drubbing. Always he remains just out of reach as he races over the winterscape, beautifully rendered with elegant countryside and architectural details by Brett. All the while, Matti is busy back home, building a gingerbread house to entice the nervy cookie to safe harbor. It works, too, and Matti is able to spirit the gingerbread baby away from the mob. The mischief-maker may be a brat, but the gingerbread cookie is also the agent of good cheer, and Brett allows that spirit to run free on these pages. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23444-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
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