DANIEL AND ISMAIL

In this picture book, two young boys living in an unidentified, presumably Israeli city happen to meet in a park and share a game of soccer.

Each bears a ball received as a birthday gift the prior day. For goal markers, they use their other gifts—for Daniel, a tallit (a shawl worn at synagogue) and for Ismail, a kaffiyeh (a Palestinian scarf). When each boy absent-mindedly takes the other’s garment home, parental dismay ensues, with each set of parents shouting, “Where did you get that? Do you know what it means?” The boys have nightmares, with visions of violence they have seen in news accounts. They swap items at the park the following day, along with mutual words of understanding—and resume playing soccer. Translated from the original Chilean Spanish, the minimalist text is displayed in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. As in any book involving this pairing of characters, readers must expect a message. Young children, who are the audience for this book, may well take these encounters at face value—as merely games of soccer. Adults will approach the story from their own vantage points, well knowing the endemic imbalance of power behind the scenes. Given the complexities this picture book tries to contain, it’s too bad there is no guide for caregivers to help them navigate a discussion of this issue with children.

Well-meaning but simplistic.