AMIRA'S PICTURE DAY

Amira and her brother scan the sky, looking for the sliver-thin crescent moon that will tell them that Eid is the next day.

With her hands decorated, goody bags ready for kids at the masjid (Faruqi uses the Arabic term for mosque throughout), new Eid clothes, and the knowledge that she will be missing school to celebrate Eid, Amira is excited! But then she notices the flyer on the fridge and remembers tomorrow is Picture Day. She doesn’t want to miss her class picture! But the next day, “seeing the masjid, Amira’s sadness floated away. Her mouth popped open. She could hardly recognize it.” She’s happy during Eid prayers and when greeting friends and family—until she remembers Picture Day. But maybe there’s a way she can do both? Faruqi effectively builds up the excitement to celebrate Eid and balances it with Amira’s distress at missing Picture Day—readers will see that both are important. The characters and interactions at the masjid are real, reinforcing a community celebrating Eid, and so are Amira’s interactions with her classmates. Azim’s illustrations pair well with Faruqi’s words, focusing on facial expression as well as body language to highlight the mixed emotions: excitement, sadness, surprise. There is much diversity among the people at the masjid, including hijab styles, other attire, and racial presentation. Amira’s blue, mirror-bedecked shalwar kameez stands out. Her family is of South Asian heritage.

Sweet and sympathetic.