An immersive window into Bengali wedding traditions.
A young girl travels to Bangladesh to attend her first family wedding.
Samina and her mother are greeted at the airport by her aunt Ruby, cousin Yasmine (the bride-to-be), and cousin Nita, who’s Samina’s age. As they arrive at Yasmine’s home and wedding preparations start in earnest, Samina marvels: The whole house is decked out in twinkling lights! Nita shows her the array of gifts for Yasmine and her fiancé and hands Samina a shiny gift, too: brightly colored bangles. The girls busy themselves making marigold garlands—known as Komla Phul—and practicing their dance moves. They’re amused by the Duyta Mach tradition, where the groom’s family sends the bride’s family two fish dressed up as a bride and groom, symbolizing good fortune. Pre-wedding festivities begin with the holud ceremony, where family and friends apply turmeric paste to the faces, arms, and feet of the bride and groom. Samina and Nita also decorate their hands with henna and partake in Rong Khlea, an outdoor event where people hurl colorful powders at one another. At last, it’s time for the wedding day; the bride and groom exchange vows, and Samina’s aunt holds up a mirror so they can see their reflection as a couple for the first time. Though there’s little conflict or drama here, Zaman offers a valuable cultural primer, with inserts expounding on each of the rituals mentioned and illustrations brimming with color, pattern, and detail.
An immersive window into Bengali wedding traditions. (glossary, author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781771476591
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
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
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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