Learning to Deal with Loss: Sulaiman and the Tides of Change
by Aliya Vaughan, illustrations by Rakaiya Azzouz
Kube Publishing Ltd
Sulaiman faces a devastating loss whilst on holiday with his family.
Learning to deal with loss is a story about a young Muslim boy on holiday with his family when he learns that his grandfather has passed away. Although it is a shock to them all, Sulaiman is particularly upset.
It raises many questions in his mind and evokes turbulent emotions that he has not experienced before. Through it, he learns the Islamic concept of death; how to deal with losses and changes in life and how it is all linked to a greater purpose.
Sulaiman and the Tides of Change is the third book in a series of stories about the adventures of a young Muslim boy. Sulaiman and his family love visiting his grandparents, who live by the coast. They spend the holidays together – exploring the coastline, playing on the beach, eating Grandma’s homecooked food and enjoying Grandpa’s bedtime stories.
Cover image and summary via Edelweiss
Nadia and Nadir Visit Pakistan by Marzieh A. Ali
Illustrated by Lala Stellune
Calico Kid / North Star Editions
Nadia and Nadir are a pair of young Muslim-American siblings living in Houston, Texas, with their mom and dad. Like all kids, they enjoy staying busy. Nadia and Nadir are quick to make learning fun in their day-to-day lives. And with grandparents coming to visit and trips to Pakistan in their schedules, the kids enjoy exploring their family’s culture and traditions.
Cover image and summary via Edelweiss
Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story by Malak Mattar
Interlink Publishing
A sensitive and heart warming story of how a little girl in Gaza finds strength and hope through her painting. Sitti’s Bird is a unique children’s picture book, written and illustrated by Palestinian artist, Malak Mattar, reflecting her experiences of childhood in Palestine.
Malak is a little girl who lives in Gaza with her parents. She goes to school, plays in the ocean, and visits Sitti’s house on Fridays. One day while she is in school, bombings begin. She spends the next 50 days at home with her parents worrying and feeling scared, until one day she picks up her paintbrush …
Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story is a unique children’s picture book, written and illustrated by Palestinian artist, Malak Mattar. Reflecting her experiences of childhood in occupied Palestine, Malak’s story brings warmth and wonder to children as it tells of her rebirth as an artist during the 2014 airstrikes on Gaza. It is the story of a young girl whose love for her family and discovery of art help her channel her fears and overcome traumas that few of us can imagine—traumas shared by countless children in Gaza and around the world.
Cover image and summary via Edelweiss
Turtle of Michigan
by Naomi Shihab Nye
Greenwillow / HarperCollins
The stand-alone companion to National Book Award Finalist and beloved poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s The Turtle of Oman. The Turtle of Michigan is a deft and accessible novel that follows a young boy named Aref as he travels from Muscat, Oman, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and adjusts to a new life and a new school in the United States. A wonderful pick for young middle grade readers and fans of Other Words for Home and Billy Miller Makes a Wish.
Aref is excited for his journey to reunite with his father in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Aref makes a friend on an airplane, wonders what Michigan will be like, and starts school in the United States. While he does miss his grandfather, his Sidi, Aref knows that his home in Oman will always be waiting for him.
Award-winning author Naomi Shihab Nye’s highly anticipated sequel to The Turtle of Oman explores immigration, family, and what it means to feel at home. Carrying a suitcase and memories of his home in Oman, Aref experiences the excitement and nervousness that accompanies moving to a new home. The Turtle of Michigan is a great choice for reading aloud and a must-have for younger middle grade readers.
Illustrated in black-and-white throughout.
Summary and cover image via Edelweiss
Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar
by Mojdeh Hassani, Samira Iravani, and illustrated by Maya Fidawi
Dial / Penguin Random House
It’s market day for Samira and her grandma! The bazaar is crowded, but this sweet pair knows how to stick together in this silly picture book set in Iran.
Mama Shamsi is off to the market, and today, Samira gets to go with her! Samira loves spending time with her grandmother, and she especially loves her chador, which Mama Shamsi wraps around herself every time they leave the house. As the pair get closer and closer to the market, Samira is worried about getting lost in the crowded streets of Tehran, until she has an idea: She can hide under her grandmother’s chador. But when Mama Shamsi says no—if Samira hides under there, the pair of them will look like a strange animal! In imaginary spreads, Samira and Mama Shamsi turn into a donkey, a giraffe, a kangaroo, a turtle—hiding isn’t working at all. But maybe there’s some other way for Samira to stay safe with her grandma in the crowded market.
Summary via Edelweiss (cover image pending)
This review was originally published in the November/December issue of Horn Book magazine and can also be found on the Horn Book website.
My Grandma and Me
by Mina Javaherbin; illus. by Lindsey Yankey
Primary Candlewick 32 pp. g
8/19 978-0-7636-9494-4 $16.99
The unnamed narrator recalls her childhood growing up in Iran (where the author also grew up) with her beloved grandmother, who lives with the family. The child accompanies her grandma on her daily routines (“When she swept, I swept. When she cooked, I cooked. When she prayed, I prayed like her, too”), through which the child experiences joyful elements of Iranian Islamic culture and acts of faith. They also spend time with friends (Grandma’s best friend’s granddaughter is our narrator’s best friend); and as the older women laugh, drink coffee, and knit blankets for their mosque and church, respectively, the children (and readers) witness a beautiful interfaith friendship. Yankey’s muted illustrations work well to convey cherished memories and love, with thoughtful cultural details incorporated throughout — a hopscotch board with numbers in Persian, a henna stain on the back of a hand. Striking Persian patterns providing an eye-catching, but not disruptive, contrast to the quotidian activities. Appended notes on the copyright page provide heartfelt details about the author’s and illustrator’s grandmothers. A lovely homage to the unconditional love and wisdom of elders.
From the November/December 2019 Horn Book Magazine.