A charming and important entry encouraging the joyous celebration of cultural heritage.
When a young Muslim boy receives a well-loved teddy bear for Eid, he’s encouraged to discover for himself what its name is.
Abdullah carefully unwraps his parents’ gift and discovers a plush bear softened by years of love—it’s his father’s childhood toy. Ecstatic, he asks what its name is. “Why don’t you guess?” says Abba. “You’ll know in your heart when you’ve found the right one.” Over the next week, Abdullah takes his toy everywhere, trying on many different names. He considers his classmates’ names, like Katie or Anna, and old names he sees on museum exhibits, such as Archibald, but none seem to fit. Still, Abdullah’s sure that the bear has a name. After hearing a bedtime story about Abba’s Pakistani grandfather, he drifts off to sleep while looking at a family picture. Suddenly, it hits him. Maybe his bear has a name like his! Inspired by Hanif’s experiences growing up with a lack of Pakistani Muslim representation in literature, as well as her time spent working with South Asian children in Glasgow, this tale emphasizes the importance of recognizing one’s cultures and traditions through the power of names. Benmouyal’s blend of hand-drawn textures with a digital finish, dominated by hues of blue, green, gold, and red, convey Abdullah’s love for his new toy with expressive facial features and gestures. A short glossary of unfamiliar words supports comprehension without disrupting the flow of the story.
A charming and important entry encouraging the joyous celebration of cultural heritage. (the story behind the book) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9781782509585
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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