Follow this contemporary family, but pack some more expertise in your imaginary suitcase.
The trip to Mecca, the Hajj, is the most important religious event in the life of a Muslim.
A family living in London sets forth on their spiritual journey, leaving the youngest child behind with her grandmother. Most double-page spreads highlight one stage of the trip with a free-verse poem, such as the one that addresses attire: “Dress with a pilgrim / As he stands barefoot, / A sheet round his shoulders, / Another round his waist.” Readers are exhorted to vicariously take part in all the rituals of the nine-day observance. The repetitive nature of the first lines of the poems is soothing, but it may resonate most with young Muslim readers, as children are asked to call out in prayer and gaze at the Black Stone on one side of the Ka'bah, among other “requests.” Although the poems attempt to explain all the practices and there is a back page with additional information, adults familiar with Islam are best positioned to share the book with children as part of a larger discussion on this pillar of the Muslim faith. The folk-art–style mixed-media illustrations, utilizing fabrics and papers, show the great diversity of Muslim pilgrims. There is no bibliography.
Follow this contemporary family, but pack some more expertise in your imaginary suitcase. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-84780-153-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A beautifully written page-turner about belonging.
Badir, a newly arrived Tunisian immigrant to Canada, rallies along with his classmates to save a beaver’s natural habitat from destruction by local residents annoyed by the animal’s constant damage to surrounding trees.
Badir is captivated by what he initially thinks is a huge, swimming rat, an animal he briefly spotted in a pond on his way back from school. With the help of the internet, his teacher, classmates, and also forthcoming strangers eager to share what they know, Badir soon learns that the little creature he spied in darkness is in fact a beaver, Canada’s national symbol. He also finds out that local residents, worried by how the beaver might harm the trees around its habitat, are starting a petition to have what they regard as a pest removed from the park. Unfazed by the task ahead, Badir, along with his classmates, organizes a countercampaign—brainstorming sessions, banners, and all. Who will ultimately get the upper hand? Will the beaver saga have a happy ending? With her gentle tale, Stewart does an excellent job at promoting cultural understanding, not only by foregrounding a young Muslim character and his family, but also by setting the story during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, introducing the reader to many of its facets and doing so with effortless grace. Gendron’s black-and-white illustrations depict a multiracial urban setting.
A beautifully written page-turner about belonging. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1727-2
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nevertheless, it fills a gap in the marketplace, hopefully paving the way for stronger fare.
Not even the worthy subject matter can overcome the herky-jerky writing in this rare glimpse into everyday Jewish life.
Over four short chapters, a boy and a girl become good friends in spite of misunderstandings. When Sam overhears that the new kid next door is named Charlie, he’s initially thrilled to find a playmate. To his surprise, he discovers that both Charlie and her little sister Sam (or “Sam Too”) are girls. That makes little difference, though, since Charlie’s a stellar buddy. The chapter on “Sharing” tests that new friendship when both Sam and Charlie crave the last prune hamentaschen. They’re closer after Sam aims to cheer up Charlie on “Sick Day,” but “The Bad Haircut” undoes that good with a callous comment. Finally on “I’m Sorry Day,” aka Yom Kippur, the two apologize, and hilarity ensues. The text’s level of difficulty is ideal for the emerging reader taking baby steps into chapter books, but even the great subject matter (the everyday lives of Jewish kids) can’t make up for abrupt transitions between those chapters, lines like “Friendship is the best medicine,” and odd lessons on losing on purpose to keep a friendship going. Tambellini’s illustrations complement the action beautifully but cannot save the weak writing.
Nevertheless, it fills a gap in the marketplace, hopefully paving the way for stronger fare. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8075-7213-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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