A cheerful and relatable tale of a young girl finding the perfect way to celebrate Ramadan.
Wanting to emulate her parents, Aliya eventually realizes that fasting is just one way to observe Ramadan.
Aliya is excited because the new moon signals the start of Ramadan. As Ammi and Abba hang decorations, Aliya enthusiastically exclaims that she wants to fast with them, but Ammi thinks she’s still too young. But a determined Aliya drifts off to sleep with a secret in her heart: She will fast, too! Not eating or drinking at school the next day is harder than Aliya imagined. Her tummy rumbles when she turns down her snack, her lunch, and even the delicious-looking sprinkle-laden cupcakes that the class eats to celebrate a student’s birthday. Later, when Aliya helps Ammi bake dessert at home, she accidentally indulges in a bite of sugary, sticky baklava. Aliya cries out in guilt, and Ammi soothes her and explains that there are other ways to celebrate Ramadan, such as helping those in need and sharing meals with the community. Ramadan ends with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr and Aliya looking forward to the next year’s festivities. Illustrations filled with rich colors and strings of stars and crescents capture the spirit of joyous celebration. Drawing from her own experiences, Zaman provides a helpful look into the basic practices of Ramadan. Cues in the text suggest that Aliya and her family are South Asian; her community is a diverse one.
A cheerful and relatable tale of a young girl finding the perfect way to celebrate Ramadan. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781771475648
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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