A song of Jesus’ love sure to strengthen children when their bravery lags.
A young girl faces a “big day of big things” with a song about Jesus’ love.
The start to Una Rayne’s day is a metaphor for her feelings; the thick fog keeps her from seeing the way forward. But before Una Rayne can express her fear, her mother is there saying that in the child’s heart “lives the biggest and greatest song. The one that makes you brave.” And as Una Rayne dons her backpack and sets off, her mama sings it to her: “Jesus loves you, / Makes you strong. / In Him you’re brave / And you belong.” As the song reverberates, the fog disappears. When Una Rayne can’t find a place to belong at lunchtime, her song leads her to make her own space, and she attracts new friends to her, to whom she teaches her song. Toward the end, the book turns toward overt religious teaching, though the messages are welcome and needed: “Jesus…is Love Himself. And His whisper beats inside our hearts.” A final scriptural quote from Zephaniah ends the book on a page with space for a child’s photo. Grimes’ illustrations are full of marvelous textures and patterns, especially in the leafy green trees, and facial expressions and gestures do a lot of the heavy emotional lifting. Una Rayne presents Asian; her mother has light skin and straight, light-brown hair. Background characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A song of Jesus’ love sure to strengthen children when their bravery lags. (Religious picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-4964-4654-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tyndale Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
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
Both a celebration of and an introduction to the mosque.
Children welcome readers into different mosques to learn about varying activities and services that take place in them.
Though many different mosques and children are depicted, the voices call readers’ attention to the similarities among Muslim communities around the world. Yuksel highlights the community eating together; women, men, and children sharing the space and praying together; grandfathers thumbing their tasbihs; grandmothers reading the Quran; aunties giving hugs; children playing. The effect is to demonstrate that a mosque is more than just a building but rather a space where children and adults come together to pray, give, learn, and play. Joyful characters describe what happens in simple, poetic language: “In my mosque, the muezzin’s call to prayer echoes in the air. I stand shoulder to shoulder with my friends, linked like one long chain.” Aly’s bright illustrations pair well with Yuksel’s words, ending with a beautiful spread of children staring at readers, waving and extending their hands: “You are welcome in my mosque.” The variety of mosques included suggests that each has its own unique architecture, but repeating geometric patterns and shapes underscore that there are similarities too. The author’s note guides readers to her website for more information on the mosques depicted; they are not labeled, which is frustrating since the backmatter also includes a tantalizing list of famous mosques on every continent except Antarctica.
Both a celebration of and an introduction to the mosque. (glossary, sources) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-297870-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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