A story about the Morrocan Jewish holiday, Mimouna, that marks the end of Passover introduces readers to a small but growing Jewish celebration from Northern Africa. Stemming from the historical fact of Jews often borrowing flour from their Muslim neighbors to make the traditional Maufletot, thin pancakes, after a week of not eating flour. The story focuses on a Jewish girl and a Muslim girl meeting each other, celebrating with each other, and finding similarities between Ramadan and Mimouna. Over 36 pages, kindergarten to second grade readers will get an introduction to two different faith holidays and see that friendship and kindness are possible everywhere.
It is the last day of Passover in Fes and Miriam is tired of eating quickly baked unleavened matzah crackers, she is ready for the sweet dough pancakes of Mimouna, and she is willing to help her mom make them. But before Passover, all flour was removed from the home, and she asks her mother where they can get flour tonight before the party.
Mom and Miriam begin to walk. They leave the part of town that Miriam is familiar with and Miriam sees a building with a dome and minarets. “What is that?” she asks. Her mother replies, “It is a mosque, where our Muslim neighbors pray.”
They then enter a courtyard where a woman and her daughter about the same age as Miriam appear and invite them in for tea. The two women say salaam and kiss each other’s cheeks. Miriam’s mom gives the other lady a jar of fig jam and invites her and her family to come to the house to celebrate Mimouna with them. When the women are done drinking tea, Jasmine is asked to go to the store room for two bags of flour and Miriam is sent to help. Jasmine is told one bag is for them, and one is for their guests. The two shy girls go get the flour, and when Miriam trips, Jasmine catches the bag just in time.
On the way home, Miriam has so many questions about the lady and how her mother knows her and how come they don’t have a jasmine vine. But, when they get home there is a lot of work to be done before the guests start to arrive.
By the time Jasmine and her parents come the house is full and music is being played and songs are being song. The first plate of maufletot goes to Miriam’s grandfather, and when she trips and they go flying it is Jasmine who catches them. The girls giggle and Miriam teaches Jasmine to play the song, “Alalla Mimouna” on her tambourine.
The party moves from house to house and at one home green wheat is dipped in milk and sprinkled over everyone’s head as a blessing for the upcoming year. By the time the girls get back home they are tired, and as they share one last pancake, Jasmine tells Miriam about the nightly feasts of Ramadan after a day of fasting. She invites Miriam to join them, and Mariam is excited, but Mariam’s mom explains that they are moving to Jerusalem.
The following year on Mimouna Night, Mariam heads to the store to buy flour, but thinks of her friend Jasmine back in Morocco as she smells the jasmine growing in her home, and wonders if her friend is also thinking about her.
The author is an Amerian Israeli, and I was nervous that there would be political overtones, but she deliberately wanted to avoid that and focus instead on presenting this little known Jewish holiday in an interfaith manner. There is an info section at the end of the book explaining Mimouna and a recipe for moufletot. In author interviews you can read more about how the story came to be, and what her hopes were in telling it: https://jewishbooksforkids.com/2021/03/14/interview-with-allison-ofanansky-author-of-a-sweet-meeting-on-mimouna-night/
Islamic School Librarian 