Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani, illustrated by Maya Fidawi

Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar
by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani
illustrated by Maya Fidawi
Dial Books/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.

Cover image and summary via Edelweiss