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Apr22

The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee

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The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee

With a release date of May 6, I really wanted to wait to post a review because the images are gorgeous in the electronic version, and I can only imagine how moving and captive they will be presented in a physical format, but alas I know the importance of presales and am sharing to hopefully encourage you to preorder and/or request from your library, this gorgeous 40 page OWN voice book.  A love letter to Damascus, and the sights, sounds, smells, taste, and feelings that the author remembers despite the mountains and oceans that now separate her, are lyrically shared with readers on a journey through the city. The ethereal lilting of words draw readers of all backgrounds in, and the complimentary gorgeous illustrations convey a palpable sense of beauty, love, and memories of home.  Even on a screen, they force you to get lost in their beauty. The cadence of the words allow natural pauses that tug on your eyes and draw them toward something in the images not seen before, forcing the readers and listeners alike to hesitate before turning the page.

The book starts with a little girl telling where she comes from, “the City of Jasmine,” “the Umayyad Mosque,” “Ghouta,” “Damascus,” “Qasioun,” “Qala’at Dimashq,” headers for spreads rich with poetry, wonder, and longing.

Neighborhoods of diverse families gathering, and sharing the foods that bring people together, and quiet bookshops that facilitate travel through time. Family memories built around orchards and fountains and laughter and love.  So far away from the author now, the memories are not lost, they can be touched when the scent of jasmine is “breathed in, and breathed out.”

The book concludes with an author’s note and a glossary.  Those of us who are not Syrian, and who have never been, after spending time with this book will undoubtedly be tempted to add Damascus to our bucket list of travel plans, and inshaAllah as the country rebuilds such trips will come to fruition.

Dec25

The Thread that Connects Us by Ayaan Mohamud

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The Thread that Connects Us by Ayaan Mohamud

 

At just over 400 pages this book expertly blends the stresses of school, bullies, and friends in the UK with the twists and secrets of broken families, shattered hearts, and a past that needs to be reckoned with.  Told in dual perspectives from girls thrown together by the actions of their parents, Safiya and Halima maintain distinct voices that are rich with Somali culture, Islam, vulnerability, and ultimately love and hope.  The book is YA, but the premise is a bit mature and is better suited to older teens in my opinion, I think a high school book club would be wise to consider this book, as once you start reading, it is difficult to put the book down. 

SYNOPSIS:

Safiya is mature beyond her years.  Since her father abandoned her and her mother five years prior, she has managed the bills, the upkeep of the home, and for the most part her grades. Hooyo checked out and is rarely more than a silent being curled up unable to care for herself, much less her daughter.  With the the help from the community, particularly her best friends and neighbors Muna and Yusuf, Safiya has a found family that helps her weather the tough times.  When her dad moves back to London with his new family from Somalia, Safiya is forced to deal with not only all the painful memories of her past, but also the very real presence of her family living in her neighborhood, showing up to Eid prayers, and taking over the safe haven that school has often served as when home life has been so cold and lonely.

Halima’s father died when she was young, and life with her Hooyo in Mogadishu was good until her mother remarried, Safiya’s dad.  Her two younger half brothers that came further added to the rift between her and her mother, and now that they are moving to England with the husband, despite her protests, has her plotting a way to return to her home.  The language, the culture, the weather, are all added stresses to finding her way, and are compounded when she gets paired up to have Safiya show her around and help translate for her in school.  

The two girls hate each other, at least they have that in common, but their inability to avoid each other forces them to interact more than either wish to do.  As questions, and secrets are voiced, the two girls realize that they might have to work together to get what they want, and figure out their past.

WHY I LIKE IT:
I really enjoyed the owning of the characters’ language and culture and faith and how easy it was to be invested in their world.  Nothing pulls you out of the story, it is rich and lush and the reader can figure out why even though there is a crush, nothing is going to happen, and why they are wearing hijabs, and waking up to pray fajr, the balance is both inviting and educating, without the reader even realize it is happening, because hello, we are to busy trying to figure out what these two girls’ parents have done. 

The story has layers, and the emotional attachment I feel to both these girls, made me glad the story was over, they deserve some peace, but also desperate to know that they are going to be ok in the future too.  I can’t say too much without the risk of spoiling, but the writing is strong, the plot solid, the details intentional and relatable, and the characters very real.

FLAGS:

Lying, bullying, fighting, assault, crush, drug use, arrest, accusation, gossip, abandonment, relationships, edibles, affairs.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
This would be such a great upper high school read, the way the story unfolds will keep readers hooked from the first page and motivate those that start, to finish.  Students will see themselves in the characters, and be sleuths themselves trying to uncover what secrets are true and how do the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

 

Mar21

Until You Find the Sun by Maryam Hassan illustrated by Anna Wilson

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Until You Find the Sun by Maryam Hassan illustrated by Anna Wilson

I don’t know that this book is particularly unique or mind blowing, but I read a digital copy a few weeks ago and was surprised when some tears fell, I read it when I got the physical copy to my kids and my throat caught again, and here I am writing this review and feeling all vulnerable.  It is as if I too am a little girl in a new place missing her grandfather on the other side of the world, which clearly I’m not.  The book is sweet, and moving, and I find myself emotionally invested every time I read through the 32 pages and get lost in the large sweeping illustrations.  The book is not Islamic, there are a few hijabis in the background and text that articulates friends saying salaam before the girl moves.  Additionally, the main character’s name is Aminah, and the author is of Pakistani decent, and has a Muslim sounding name.  The story though, at its core is universal, heartfelt, reassuring, hopeful, and lovely to share in all spaces. It begs to be read aloud and holds the attention of toddlers to early elementary aged children.

The book starts with a happy little Aminah in a bright sparkly environment of sunshine, mangoes, and salaams.  Every night she listens to Da’s stories of adventure as she snuggles next to her grandfather.  One day she finds out they are moving, going on an adventure.  Only Da won’t be joining them and Aminah is devastated.

The new home is gray, and cold, and no adventure at all.  She wants to go back, but Da reassures her during their nightly conversations that things will get better.  And sure enough, with a bit of bright yellow inspiration, she starts to discover the adventures awaiting in her new home.

Kids will find the end hopeful and resolved, but I somehow found it a little bittersweet.  Da loves his grand daughter and wants her happy, but the adult me, realizes their relationship will never be the same, and Da will miss her in many ways, alone, as she embarks on her own life.  I know I’m projecting, but the ability to see both perspectives adds a nice layer to the book.

The book is available here from Amazon and will be in local libraries in June 2024.

Sep18

If You See a Bluebird by Bahram Rahman illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

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If You See a Bluebird by Bahram Rahman illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

This cultural picture book shows life of an Afghan family before fleeing the country and after.  In the flashbacks the women are wearing hijab, now in the west they are not.  I debated if I should do a complete review or just a Muslim in the illustration tag, and ultimately decided to do a review so that I might document what I fear is a new trend.  In the last ten years most Afghan books addressed international involvement, the Taliban, and refugees, but seemed to still feature Islam and the characters as Muslim.  This book carries the refugee theme, but Islam is seen in the “before” illustrations only.  Another recently published book, The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story, similarly contained no Islam, but interestingly also kept it out of the illustrations.  Realistically, I know that two books don’t make a trend, but with the change of politics in Afghanistan, I think the OWN voice narratives are important to watch and be aware of.  In the past an Afghan book would be conflated with also being an Islamic rep book, and I don’t know if that will continue to be the case.  I also don’t know what the take away impression would be upon a kid if they were to pick the book off the shelf.  Would they find the head coverings in the unsafe country and the lack of hijabs in the safe country as a message about Islam, would they understand the politics, would they even notice?  The sweet story of a boy picking berries with his grandma involves music, wishing on birds, and reflecting on the violence that forced them to leave Afghanistan.

The book starts with Ali and his Nana waking up early to pick blackberries.  They don’t want to wake his exhausted parents, and quietly pack a lunch and get on their bikes and head out.  The blackberries are not as sweet as the mulberries he remembers from Afghanistan.  Suddenly he misses home.

The family left Kabul after soldiers came to their house and they knew it wasn’t safe anymore.  He couldn’t bring both of his stuffies and the family left on foot at night.  They rode a bus and waited behind a fence before they boarded a plane.

 

Back in the present the two eat their picnic, when a bluebird arrives, Nana tells Ali to make a wish before it flies away.  Nana says all her wishes have come true: the family is safe and together.  Ali is whisked back to sitting beneath the mulberry tree with his parents laughing and his toys around, he wishes for home.  Nana explains that home is not a place, it is the love you have.  The book concludes with Ali appreciating his loving family and his new “home.”

Jul10

Sitti’s Key by Sahar Khader Ali illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

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Sitti’s Key by Sahar Khader Ali illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

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I try and buy, read, and review every children’s book about Palestine that is published, it is the least I can do.  I also try not to compare them to each other as they present different aspects of oppression, perspectives of strength, examples of joy, and messages of hope, even among many similar themes of food, keys, traditions, and culture.  I really appreciate that this book though is incredibly blunt.  It isn’t lyrical, it isn’t poetic, and as Israel is bombing Jenin as I write this I’m glad it doesn’t mince words about the Nakba. I do think caregivers though, should probably read it first as it might be a little triggering for sensitive children.  The story is OWN voice and probably best suited for middle elementary aged children.  It is perhaps also worth noting that the book could be seen as making Jews synonymous with Zionists.  The characters are Muslim, Islamic phrases and Arabic terms are sprinkled throughout, and even despite the pain the family has endured, the book stays hopeful and proud.

Sitti is coming and Amal is excited, it has been two years since she last saw her.  She loves how excited her mom and grandma are to unpack gifts of olive oil, dates, and zataar from friends.  Amal isn’t sure what to do with the “old lady thoub” she has been gifted, but she smiles in appreciation none-the-less.  When Sitti pulls out an old key, Amal starts to ask her about it, but her mother shuffles her off to bed.

The next day at school, Amal has to work on a presentation about “culture,” but there are no Palestinian books in her school library, so she just watches the other kids.  At home they eat and listen to Sitti’s stories of long ago in Haifa, and Amal asks her why she left Palestine.  Despite her mother trying to redirect, Sitti says it is time she knew about the Nakba.

Sitti tells about living on the land for generations and how the Jews believed the land belonged to them.  In 1948 the British decided Palestine would be the homeland for the Jews.  Armed men came and arrested anyone who tried to stay in their homes. Sitti’s brother was handcuffed and never seen again.  The family grabbed what they could including the key to their home as they made their way to a refugee camp in Lebanon.  They stayed for three years, before making their way to America.

When Sitti concludes her story she hands the key to Amal and her hope that she will return to their home inshaAllah.  Feeling the pride and warmth of home, Amal has a determination to reclaim her heritage and share her “culture” with her classmates.

The illustrations are sweet, the mom and Sitti wear hijab even in the home, and the inshaAllahs and salams come naturally. The book does not stop to define zataar or marimya, which helps the flow. I also like how it shows that there aren’t books about Palestine in the school library, it is strong and important detail.  I don’t understand where Sitti is coming from though, it would seem Palestine as she is bringing gifts from friends, but in the story it says after Lebanon they made their way to America, so I’m not sure where Sitti lives, and how the logistics of the family work to be honest.  I also kind of wish there was a  recipe for zataar in the book and lyrics with translation for the song the family sings.

Book is available on Kindle or can be ordered from www.littlehibba.com

Apr24

Egyptian Lullaby by Zeena M. Pliska illustrated by Hatem Aly

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Egyptian Lullaby by Zeena M. Pliska illustrated by Hatem Aly

There was a time in college when my friends and I would gift each other Cinderella retellings and versions from all over the world, that was nearly 20 years ago, and I haven’t thought much of it, until this book reminded again of “This is the House that Jack Built.” Having just read and reviewed “The Masjid that Kamal Loves” which is structed similarly, I can confidently say forget Cinderella, I’m loving this new trend, of a repetitive layered story conveying love and excitement and joy to little readers in such an engaging way. This book has more of a story than the original and shows relationships and longing, even though it is primarily a love letter to Cairo.  The swapping out in some verses for Arabic words and English translations, the sound affects and the connections really elevate the OWN voice details in the text and make the book an absolute treat to read and share even for those of us who are not Egyptian and have never visited.  The Auntie who visits wears hijab, the muezzin calling Allah u Akbar is a repeated refrain, their are numerous illustrations of women in hijab and a masjid is shown repeatedly throughout allowing Muslims everywhere to feel seen with this culturally specific story.  The Glossary with the Arabic script and pronunciation guides and Notes from the Author and Illustrator really radiate with love and invite the reader to participate in the celebration on the pages.  I have no doubt children (and their parents) three and up everywhere will fall in love with the 40 page story and delightful illustrations.

Auntie Fatma comes to visit a little girl’s family from Egypt and brings sahlab and changes for two weeks to the home.  Arabic is spoken, and a nightly lullaby of the sounds of Cairo are among the beloved additions to connect the little girl to her Auntie and her culture.

The lullaby begins with the sound of the Nile, the boats floating through the city, the athan calling to prayer, the carts on the streets, the traffic.  The halawa ya battekh, swish, swoosh, swish, Allah u Akbar, beep honk toot, all add layers to the bustle of the city as the little girls memories of the sights and sounds of Egypt soothe her to sleep.  When it is time for Auntie to return the little girl’s sadness is palpable, but Auntie finds a way to reassure her and all those that have drunk from the Nile and long to return.

It is hard to say if the text adds to the illustrations or the illustrations to the story, both combine to make this book impossible to read without smiling.  I love that the mosque is shown in the daytime and at night implying that the call to prayer is not a one time thing without articulating that Muslims pray five times a day. I don’t know if the author identifies as Muslim or if the inclusion of the athan and Allah u Akbar is just an environmental reality of Egyptian daily life and thus featured.  The illustrator could have very well added the hijabs on his own as there is nothing religious or explanatory in the text.  Perhaps it is worth noting that there is a dog in the family’s home that seems to sleep with the little girl.  The book is a cultural heartfelt portrayal, and that Islam is prominently featured so beautifully made for a lovely surprise.

I hope you will consider preordering the book here, requesting it at your library, and sharing it on classroom and home bookshelves.  Happy Reading!

Apr17

The Masjid Kamal Loves by Ashley Fraklin illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

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The Masjid Kamal Loves by Ashley Fraklin illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

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I don’t normally post about upcoming releases this far in advance (2.5 months), but I am hoping that if I share the link for preorders, I just might help in signaling to the traditional publishing world that books like this are so so so important and that we will support unapologetic, well written, Muslim centered, Muslim and Black joy featured books with our purchasing power.  This book is incredible for toddlers to early elementary in its “This is the House that Jack Built” format.  Muslim kids will giggle with excitement as they see themselves happy to see their friends at Jumu’ah, flinging shoes a little too hard before entering the musallah, splashing a bit when making wudu, playing while helping put out the prayer rugs, and getting a little wiggly or tired during the khutbah.  The happiness and love radiates off the pictures and through the text that even non Muslim readers will feel our connection to our Masjids and the prayers that occur within.  Muslim authored, Muslim illustrated, masjid not mosque, and a beautiful Author’s Note, makes this book a must have on every shelf where young children need books that mirror their experiences and provide windows into the beauty of Islam.

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The book starts out describing Kamal’s smile and offering the reason for such joy as being Jumu’ah at the masjid. It then starts with describing the masjid and all that is contained with the lines adding on the refrain of “the masjid Kamal loves.”  The friends, the shoes, the feet, the rugs, etc.. Terms such as imam, ummah, salaam are in the text and the illustrations show wudu, salat, khutbah, conveying a Jumu’ah experience.

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Each page is brightly illustrated across horizontal orientated scenes.  The expressions on the kids faces, are engaging and smile inducing and the lyrical text has a rhythm and strength that makes you feel proud to also have a masjid to love like Kamal.

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I have an arc, but have preordered a copy for myself here and hope you will do the same. Please also request your public libraries to order it, and if they have already you can place the book on hold, inshaAllah little steps to show support.

Nov28

House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

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House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

house of yesterday

While reading this 320 page YA supernatural/contemporary book-I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.  When finished- I was bothered that certain threads weren’t resolved, now that I’ve ruminated a bit- I think the vagueness of the author’s prose in sharing her “fever dream” on paper has lingered and the gaps not as troublesome.  The author’s OWN voice Afghan-Uzbek Muslim identity adds layers to a story that is both haunting in the literal sense and familiar in the immigration inter-generational traumas and secrets shared.  Even deeper though, the book pokes at universal themes of regret, holding on to the past, family, friendships, and grief.   The book’s characters identify as Muslim, but the story is not Islamic, nor is there much religion save a few salams and mentions of Eid.  The supernatural elements in the book, whether you understand it to be ghosts, or personified memories, or jinn, are a large part of the book, but are not framed in a belief or spiritual manner, and while some may find it Islamically off-putting, I felt the book explored what the main character was enduring and what the weight of the past was doing to her, didn’t necessarily cross the haram line.  Her father has a girlfriend he is looking to marry, but it isn’t celebrated, and there are close male/female friendships, but the book is relatively clean for the genre and would be a good fit for high school readers and up.

SYNOPSIS:

Summer on Long Island has Sara retreating into herself.  Surrounded by nearly a dozen aunts and uncles and numerous cousins, it is the separation of her parents and trouble with her best friend that makes getting out of bed every morning a challenge.  As a result, her mother ropes her in to helping with her latest remodeling project.  When she enters an old crumbling house one morning to take “before” pictures, she starts seeing things, and feeling things.  Things about her past.  Things about her beloved grandma, Bibi Jan, who is alive and deteriorating from dementia.  What is the house trying to tell her? Why won’t anyone tell the truth?

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love the mystery and the chills of the story.  As the reader you aren’t entirely sure where the story is headed, what you are to do with the bits of the puzzle you are given, but the intrigue to find out pulls you forward.  That being said, the book does reads debut, a few of the side story lines are not fleshed out enough to feel important, satisfying, or resolved and they come across as being abandoned.  I would have liked to see more of Sara and her father’s relationship, the details don’t seem to fit, and the continuity seems halfhearted.  At times so does the “night” it all changed with Sam.  I like the interpretive vagueness of the supernatural threads and that they are up for interpretation amongst readers not just at the end, but throughout the book.  I also like the family’s closeness even when they are disagreeing. For most of the book Sara and her cousins aren’t portrayed as particularly close and I didn’t invest time to differentiate one from another, but by the end, I felt that they were grounded and different and relatable, and I am not sure when that change occurred.  At times the writing seemed a bit repetitive, but the lyrical style would then catapult the story ahead.  There was one place that the fourth wall was broken though, and I was bothered by that slip.

Overall I loved that the Uzben Afghan culture sprinkles showed immigrant nuances, and that the love between the generations countered the trauma being shared as well.  The messaging is subtle but powerful long after the last page has been read.

FLAGS:

For the most part the book stays clean, the father has moved on and has met someone he would like to marry, the mom and aunts briefly recall sneaking out to attend a prom decades earlier.  There is mention of a child bride, and swimsuits, tank tops, and cocktail dresses being worn with no second thought.  For a YA book, the flags are incredibly minimal, save the “ghosts”(?). There are flags of a death that is detailed, the book is “spooky” at times, there is mental health, divorce, pain, dementia, abandonment, theft, running away, and fear.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would love to read this book with some high schoolers.  It is a quick read that would allow for a lot of self reflection, arguments, and entertainment.  The book is available here and releases in a few days, so if planning to purchase, please consider preordering and showing your support.

Oct3

The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition by Shirin Shamsi illustrated by Tarun Lak

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The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition by Shirin Shamsi illustrated by Tarun Lak

partition

I’ve read this book numerous times: sometimes for the text, sometimes for the tone, sometimes to slowly immerse myself in the pictures. I know the basics of my own family’s journey to Pakistan, and this book added to that understanding. I like that it forced me to slow down and to really appreciate what partition was for both sides, from a child’s perspective. Pakistan and India gained freedom from British rule 75 years ago. Nearly every Pakistani or Indian you know today, has a parent or grandparent that lived through it. It is not history from long ago, it is still very much with us, and no I’m not talking about the lingering effects of colonization, I’m talking family stories, and loss of property and wealth, memories of the journey, the terror, the fear, the relief, the determination. This book is one story, perhaps the first mainstream published in the west, of one family’s experience. There could be a thousand more books and they would all be different, all powerful, all reflective. I love that this book is Pakistani authored, Indian illustrated, I love that it offers pages with no words at all. I love that a child’s perspective for such a monumental event is told for other children. There is a lot there for desi readers to unpack, and consider, there is also a lot there for non desi’s to be made aware of, and I hope that you will seek out this book no matter who you are, and share it.

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The book starts with excitement from Azra about an upcoming train ride, even though her family has lived in Dehradun, at the base of the Himalayas, for generations. Suddenly though there is yelling outside because people are afraid, and her Abba runs in saying they have to leave now. Ammi, Abba, Azra, and the baby “Chotu,” rush out the door, leaving the cooking dinner still on the stove. When they get to the train, Azra realizes she has left her beloved doll, Gurya behind. They cannot go back for her.

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Azra blames Chotu, for making her forget her doll, for taking her parent’s attention, yet as the days and nights on the train reveal tired people, sad faces, and fear, Azra finds comfort in her little brother’s embrace.

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When they arrive in Lahore, they are met with food, and shelter. They are given a house that looks like the owners left in the same manner that they had to flee. There are balls of dough with a rolling pin, laundry strewn about, and even a doll left abandoned under a bed.

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The book concludes with a map, a glossary, and an informative author’s note addressing pre-partition, partition, and the author’s own family story. There is hardship and frantic upheaval, but peace and welcome too. The illustrations illuminate the text and show the powerful emotion when words sometime simply don’t exist.

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The book is not political or even religious. There is an Indian flag when they leave and a Pakistani flag when they enter, there are sounds of athan, and packing of a rehl, and a comparison to Eid, and the doll at the end has a bindi on her forehead. The book does not make one side out to be in the right or in the wrong, if you do not know that partition of the subcontinent was a mass migration based on religion and the chaos further exacerbated by the British, this book will not spell it out for you.

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I preordered mine here and it can now be purchased from all major book sellers.

Jul18

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home written and illustrated by Zahra Marwan

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Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home written and illustrated by Zahra Marwan

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This 48 page picture book shows the journey of a young girl from one desert to another.  The soft water colors in this author illustrated book tell so much of the story and illuminate the prose.   For me the most powerful part of the book was the backmatter.  The learning why the family had to move from Kuwait to New Mexico was new and interesting and gave the story a lot of depth.  I read it to my 6 and 3 year old and it couldn’t hold their attention, the book is not text heavy, but is is long.  I think had I read the author’s note at the end first, before sharing it with my kids, we could have discussed the pages a bit more.  I think the added framing and context would have increased connection and engaged them.  The book shows one aunt in hijab, Allah swt written in Arabic and a picture of the kaba hanging on the walls of their home, a hand of Fatima as well.  There is music and dancing and connections between family, strangers, cultures, and people.

The book starts by establishing the rich and loving life the little girl enjoys in her home: butterflies, swimming in the sea, family.  It then fades to being held close and the stress of people saying they don’t belong.  The next step is the family having to leave their extended family and say their good-byes.

They arrive in a new place, not talking like others, questioning the connections of their ancestors in this far away land.  Eventually there are some similarities, and then the music of a guitarron is heard and people dance and there is joy.

The shift opens up a feeling of home, and connections are not lost, and a new comfort is felt in a place where hot air balloons fill the sky.

As an adult I appreciated the paradigm shift of not being welcome in their home elsewhere and being welcome in America, it is subtle but a nice change.  I love a lot of details come full circle.  I think the book would be a good tool not for the intended 4-8 crowd, but for older kids in a teaching setting.  There are a lot of subtle story telling techniques that could be discussed, stereotype assumptions challenged in a nudging way, and offer social studies and political discussions.