A sweet year for all.
A little girl experiences a year of joyous events and traditions.
The Hebrew word “shehechiyanu” is a special blessing for a new experience or one that reoccurs after a long period of time. Beginning with the Jewish New Year in autumn, this happy child savors the special foods of Rosh Hashanah, as well as a new school year, a new baby brother and a meal in the sukkah. In winter, she blesses her baby brother’s first tooth, a beautiful full moon and the cozy warmth of her home as she spins the dreidel, lights a Hanukkah candle and welcomes guests for Shabbat dinner. Spring and summer bring returning birds, flower buds, a Purim costume, matzo at Passover and new accomplishments. Her little brother’s rites of passage as he says her name, takes his first step toward her and reaches his first birthday are even more deserving of blessings. This unnamed girl is warmhearted, generous and utterly charming as she embraces every moment and sees goodness and joy all around her, all expressed, with great enthusiasm, in simply stated declarative sentences. Filipina’s lovely, warmly hued illustrations beautifully complement and greatly enhance the text with detailed depictions of all the happy events. Readers not familiar with the traditions may wish there were a glossary or parenthetical pronunciation guide, though.
A sweet year for all. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-3467-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations.
Bergren and Bryant attempt to explain Easter to young children in a gentle, nonthreatening manner, with partial success.
When Little Cub questions her father about Easter, Papa Bear explains the religious significance of the holiday in various symbolic ways to his cub. He uses familiar things from their world, such as an egg and a fallen tree, to draw parallels with aspects of the Christian story. Papa Bear discusses his close relationships with Jesus and God, encouraging Little Cub to communicate with God on her own. The theme focuses on the renewal of life and the positive aspects of loving God and Jesus. Easter is presented as a celebration of eternal life, but the story skirts the issue of the crucifixion entirely. Some adults will find this an inadequate or even dishonest approach to the Easter story, but others will appreciate the calm and soothing text as a way to begin to understand a difficult subject. Bryant’s charming watercolor illustrations of the polar bear family, their cozy home and snowy forest scenes add to the overall mellow effect.
Fans of this popular series will find this a rewarding addition to family Easter celebrations. (Religion/picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-73072-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
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