An uplifting tale about recapturing the spirit of Ramadan.
A child longs to find a friend with whom to observe Ramadan.
Zain and his family have moved, and the boy is downhearted. With no mosque nearby and no Islamic school to attend, he worries that Ramadan won’t feel the same. Zain explores his neighborhood and searches for signs of other Muslims but returns home disappointed. A few days later, he and his parents build a mosque using the empty cardboard boxes from their move. Soon neighborhood children are attracted to Zain’s creation, and he teaches them about Ramadan—fasting, showing gratitude, and giving to those in need. After Zain and his parents pray outside, much to Zain’s surprise, another Muslim boy, Ahmed, joins in! Jubilant, Zain realizes his Ramadan will be more special than ever. Ali successfully weaves a heartwarming tale of teachable moments around the traditions of Ramadan while sensitively navigating Zain’s loss of his prior community and his resilience as he forges new bonds, all with the support of his loving family. Awatiff’s vivid, jewel-toned illustrations make clear that Ramadan is a special time for Muslims. Cues in the text suggest that Zain and his family are South Asian. Zain’s new community is diverse; Ahmed is brown-skinned. Backmatter includes information on how Ramadan is observed around the world, a glossary, Zain’s Ramadan essentials, and a “Make Your Own Ramadan Treat Bags” activity, which invites readers to join in the fun.
An uplifting tale about recapturing the spirit of Ramadan. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781958372142
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Soaring Kite Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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