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REMEMBERING MOM'S KUBBAT HALAB

Name: REMEMBERING MOM'S KUBBAT HALAB
Author: Medeia Sharif
ISBN: 978-0-8075-6932-0

by Medeia Sharif ; illustrated by Paran Kim ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2022

An accessible story about coping with loss.

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A little girl and her brother miss their dayik and their favorite meal she used to prepare.

Bushra and her brother, Sherzat, miss Mom and all the things she did for them. Since her death, they have not had their favorite meal, kubbat halab, which she used to prepare for them. Their dad isn’t much of a cook. Grandma and then Aunt Latifa both claim to “make the best kubbat halab,” but neither of their versions is quite like Mom’s. Bushra decides she can make it with Sherzat and Dad and shows them the steps. But when their kubbat halab still doesn’t taste like Mom’s, Bushra cries. Her brother and dad comfort her, and Dad reminds Bushra, “Your dayik will always be with us.” He adds, “And we’ll always remember her, especially when we cook together.” Kim’s gentle illustrations capture Bushra’s emotions—disappointment when she realizes her grandma’s and aunt’s kubbat halab are not like her mom’s, joy as she, Sherzat, and their dad prepare the kubbat halab. Sharif deftly portrays a child’s grief after losing a parent and shows a family healing together through a special meal that brings them memories of a loved one. Language and food references cue the family as Middle Eastern; in an author’s note, Sharif mentions her own Iraqi Kurdish background, discusses kubbat halab, and includes a recipe. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An accessible story about coping with loss. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-8075-6932-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Whitman

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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FRIZZY HAIRED ZUZU
by Medeia Sharif ; illustrated by Basma Hosam

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BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER.
by Medeia Sharif

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)