An enjoyable, rollicking read. Fun by the light of the moon—or anytime.
Siblings outshine not-too-bright grown-ups in this take on Yiddish folklore.
Sam and Sarah Schlemiel are walking along the beach with their parents when Dad notices that the moon has fallen into the water. Neighbors are alarmed: The moon’s stuck! How will they see at night? The siblings try explaining, but no one listens. After all, this is Chelm, where adults aren’t famed for their smarts. A neighbor volunteers to pull the moon from the lake; another attempts to scoop the moon into her bucket; both are unsuccessful. At the wise rabbi’s house, everyone offers preposterous solutions and prays. Sarah whispers her own idea to Sam. Next morning, a tearful Sarah tells the rabbi that she and Sam want to see the moon before the townspeople set it free, but they can’t visit the beach alone. So the rabbi escorts them to the beach—and is shocked to realize the moon is gone! He concludes the prayers “lifted” it into the sky! Everyone marvels at his wisdom—everyone except the two smart children. Readers will relish this comically fresh, fast-paced tale. An author’s note explains that stories of Chelm and its hilariously ignorant residents have been passed down for years (though this tale is set in the present). Colorful illustrations enliven the humorous proceedings. Sam and Mom are brown-skinned, while Sarah and Dad are lighter-skinned; townsfolk are racially diverse. Most males wear skullcaps or head coverings.
An enjoyable, rollicking read. Fun by the light of the moon—or anytime. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781685556037
Page Count: 32
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
An empowering and important tale of bravery.
A Black Muslim boy must summon the courage to ask for a place at school to pray.
It’s Muhammad’s seventh birthday, and Daddy has a special gift for him: a prayer rug that’s royal blue with gold stitching and that smells of incense. Muhammad is now old enough to independently offer the five Muslim daily prayers, or salat. He packs the rug before school the next day and plans to find a private place for salat. But asking his teacher for help feels harder than anticipated—especially after seeing mean passersby jeer at his father, who prays in the open while working as an ice cream truck driver. To claim a space, Muhammad will need to be brave, just like his joyful, hardworking Daddy. Once again, Thompkins-Bigelow (Mommy’s Khimar, 2018) has written a beautiful, positive, and welcome portrayal of Black Muslim families. Her melodic writing captures Muhammad’s feelings as he works to find his voice and advocate for his needs. Aly’s playful, energetic illustrations offer a nod to Islamic art traditions and work in tandem with the text to give readers a glimpse into Muhammad’s hopes, fears, and growth. An author’s note explains what salat is, the times and names of the prayers, how it is performed, and other relevant terms used within the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An empowering and important tale of bravery. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781984848093
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
A beautifully written page-turner about belonging.
Badir, a newly arrived Tunisian immigrant to Canada, rallies along with his classmates to save a beaver’s natural habitat from destruction by local residents annoyed by the animal’s constant damage to surrounding trees.
Badir is captivated by what he initially thinks is a huge, swimming rat, an animal he briefly spotted in a pond on his way back from school. With the help of the internet, his teacher, classmates, and also forthcoming strangers eager to share what they know, Badir soon learns that the little creature he spied in darkness is in fact a beaver, Canada’s national symbol. He also finds out that local residents, worried by how the beaver might harm the trees around its habitat, are starting a petition to have what they regard as a pest removed from the park. Unfazed by the task ahead, Badir, along with his classmates, organizes a countercampaign—brainstorming sessions, banners, and all. Who will ultimately get the upper hand? Will the beaver saga have a happy ending? With her gentle tale, Stewart does an excellent job at promoting cultural understanding, not only by foregrounding a young Muslim character and his family, but also by setting the story during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, introducing the reader to many of its facets and doing so with effortless grace. Gendron’s black-and-white illustrations depict a multiracial urban setting.
A beautifully written page-turner about belonging. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1727-2
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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