by Jacqueline Jules & illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2008
Jules’s fourth Ziz book continues her versions of Midrash stories featuring the giant bird of Jewish mythology. The Ziz is summoned by the wise King Solomon of Israel for a critical job—keeping the Princess Magda company in her lonely tower. Locked up to protect her “from marrying the wrong man,” Magda is thrilled when her wondrous new friend flies her across the world to see animals of the jungle, the pyramids of Egypt and the penguins in the South Pole. Returning from one of these trips they swoop down to save a young scribe falling off a cliff. The princess loves his books; the scribe loves her eyes. Jealous and worried, the Ziz soon separates them, which makes the Princess enormously unhappy. But the King, seeking happiness for his child, approves the relationship and unites them in marriage. Kahn’s watercolor scenes, which feature a goofy, green-eyed bird with a bright yellow body and oversized red wings, drive the humor in this adequate tale. (Picture book. 4-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8225-7377-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2008
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by Jo Hoestlandt & translated by Mark Polizzotti & illustrated by Johanna Kang ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 8, 1995
The thoughtless words of childhood become the focus of the narrator's haunted memories of WW II. Helen recalls the events of her ninth birthday in occupied France in 1942. Lydia, her best friend, comes over to spend the night, and they amuse themselves by telling ghost stories. When a stranger wearing a yellow star like Lydia's comes looking for a place to hide, Lydia suddenly wants to go home. Helen is angry and shouts to the departing girl that she is not her friend anymore. The next day Lydia and her family have disappeared. The simple storyline brings together a complex combination of elements—ghost stories and fights between friends who suddenly find themselves in the context of war—all of which are penetrated by an equally complex narratorial voice, capable of differentiating among subtle shades of emotion. It belongs both to the old woman telling the story and to the nine-year-old girl she was. As a result of this layering of perspective, the characters and story have depth through minimal means (sketchy details, snatches of conversation). This is even more effective in the wondrous pictures. In her first book, Kang's palette contains only browns, grays, yellows, and redsmuted colors, forming the geometric interiors of barren apartments. If the individual colors and shapes in the pictures are simple, as a whole they create an intensely expressive atmosphere. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 8, 1995
ISBN: 0-8027-8373-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995
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by Jo Hoestlandt & illustrated by Aurélie Abolivier & translated by Y. Maudet
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow ; illustrated by Ebony Glenn ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 3, 2018
With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked...
From a debut author-and-illustrator team comes a glimpse into a young American Muslim girl’s family and community as she walks around in “Mommy’s khimar,” or headscarf.
The star of this sunny picture book is a young girl who finds joy in wearing her mother’s khimar, imagining it transforms her into a queen, a star, a mama bird, a superhero. At the core of the story is the love between the girl and her mother. The family appears to be African-American, with brown skin and textured hair. The girl’s braids and twists “form a bumpy crown” under the khimar, which smells of coconut oil and cocoa butter. Adults in her life delight in her appearance in the bright yellow khimar, including her Arabic teacher at the mosque, who calls it a “hijab,” and her grandmother, who visits after Sunday service and calls out “Sweet Jesus!” as she scoops her granddaughter into her arms. Her grandmother is, apparently, a Christian, but “We are a family and we love each other just the same.” The illustrations feature soft pastel colors with dynamic lines and gently patterned backgrounds that complement the story’s joyful tone. The words are often lyrical, and the story artfully includes many cultural details that will delight readers who share the cheerful protagonist’s culture and enlighten readers who don’t.
With a universal message of love and community, this book offers a beautiful representation of a too-often-overlooked cultural group . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0059-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
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by Aisha Saeed , Huda Al-Marashi , Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & S.K. Ali
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