Review by Booklist Review
What a dilemma! How can Amira celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid with her family when it means missing school on the very day of her school picture? Amira is thrilled to have her hands decorated with mehndi, and she adores her new blue shalwar kameez, but she's unhappy not to wear her special dress to school. At the Eid party, the masjid (mosque) is decorated with streamers and filled with delicious treats and gifts. When her aunt takes a photo of the group, Amira gives only a small smile, remembering she won't be in the class picture. But wait! Realizing that school isn't over for the day, she shows up on time, fascinating the other children with her beautiful clothes. Now her smile is big as she joins her classmates for the class photo. Colorful and humorous cartoon artwork, created digitally, captures Amira's expressive facial features and energetic body motions as she deals with disappointment, then celebrates a happy outcome. A great pick for teachers wanting to incorporate different cultural celebrations into holiday units.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When dark-haired, brown-skinned Amira and her bespectacled younger brother Ziyad spy the crescent moon, "that means it's Eid tomorrow," and their Muslim family begins to prepare--Amira and Ziyad will skip school to celebrate at the masjid with their community. Amira is excited when her mother applies mehndi designs to her hands, and she helps to fill goody bags with lollipops for other children. But then Amira realizes: this year, Eid falls on picture day. Faruqi's prose is sweetly descriptive ("Tiny mirrors on her blue shalwar kameez shone happily in the sunlight"), and jewel-toned digital illustrations by Azim have a joyful, comics-style sensibility, with meticulous attention paid to the attire of the diverse crowd at the masjid. An endearing portrait of one child's specific cultural concern, with universal appeal for any reader ever caught between conflicting commitments. Back matter includes an author's note, more information on Eid, and a glossary. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--Amira feels conflicted when she realizes that school picture day is the same day as Eid. Spotting the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan, Amira and her brother Ziyad know it means that there will be prayers, celebrations, and skipping school the following day. Amira's mom decorates the girl's hands with mehndi. Amira and Ziyad prepare goody bags for the kids at the masjid, while her mother irons Amira's Eid outfit, a beautiful blue and gold mirrored shalwar kameez. Though Eid is full of the joy and community she loves, missing picture day puts a damper on the celebration, until Amira thinks of a possible solution. Deceptively simple, Faruqi's narrative gently addresses the impact that the celebration of non-Judeo-Christian holidays has on children and choices families make to uphold traditions. Moreover, Amira's conflicted feelings and insistence on finding a solution create opportunities for dialogue about the importance of acknowledging spaces that matter to children, especially while families try to foster positive identity. Azim's illustrations are fun and colorful, with tiny details reflecting the family's personality, while the people attending Eid celebrations at Amira's masjid are racially and culturally diverse, with varied skin tones, body types, and expressions of fashion and style. Back matter features an author's note and glossary of terms, referencing Urdu and Amira and her family's Pakistani roots. VERDICT A lovely addition to the collection of books about Eid that can be used all year long.--Ariana Sani Hussain, The Blake Sch., Wayzata, MN
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
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. (author's note, more about Eid, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
