A lovely tale of father-son bonding set against the backdrop of jumu’ah prayers at the mosque.
A young Muslim boy goes to the mosque with his father.
Zain wakes up ready to play at battling space aliens with his father. Disappointed that Dad must work, Zain busies himself with other adventures. When they head out for Friday prayers, Zain rushes to the playground, but his father gently guides him to the mosque. They perform wudu—the ritual washing up before prayers—and Zain’s attention wavers again as they remove their shoes, enter the prayer hall, and settle in to listen to the imam’s sermon. Zain is fidgety, and just as the congregation lines up for prayers, he makes a beeline for the front. The imam spots him and asks him to lead prayers with him. Zain prays with the imam, reining in his distractions, and his proud father treats him to a special reward after. Featuring a playful father-son dynamic, this tale explores Islamic rituals and traditions on the holiest day of the Muslim week, when Muslims gather for jumu’ah prayers. Though Zain may be antsy, his patient father and the imam foster a warm community spirit—it’s clear everyone is welcome here. Cartoon illustrations propel a fun and lively story that captures the spirited young boy’s energy. Zain and his dad are brown-skinned; their mosque is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lovely tale of father-son bonding set against the backdrop of jumu’ah prayers at the mosque. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781643794242
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.
Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.
Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780063342262
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
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
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