THE WHITE NIGHTS OF RAMADAN by Maha Addasi

Addasi, Maha. The White Nights of Ramadan. Illus. Ned Gannon. Honesdale, PA: Boyd's Mills Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-59078-523-2.

"Noor was too excited to sleep. She kept checking the candy and the fanouses that would light up their path for Girgian." This undercurrent of energy courses through the whole story, in which little Noor and her littler brothers prepare for a three night celebration during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. It's always a pleasure to read of that exuberance in the child during what is a spiritual and peaceful but also challenging time (fasting from dawn until dusk for a month!).

The familiar and widely known facts are there about Ramadan, but we get to learn a whole new facet of Arab culture in the description of a culturally specific holiday, Girgian (which I personally was unfamiliar with, despite my Muslim heritage). I enjoyed learning about this celebration, and I'm sure a lot of kids will actually relate to it—even if in the most ridiculous way—by equating the action of giving and collecting candy from house to house to that of Halloween. However, here you see children share in the delight of making the traditional candy and adorning their fancy ethnic garb together, while the parents instill the understanding that there is deeper purpose to the holiday and the month itself. There's no discord here; Noor naturally picks up from her grandmother the joy of being with your family and supporting others, an action she fulfills completely by the end of the novel.

This is a well-written story about a multigenerational family in Kuwait who share in the many experiences of Ramadan, and teach us about a jovial new one.

Soft, swirly illustrations in rich jewel tones bring out the bright white moon and brilliant red garb and yellow drums, all the while inviting the reader to experience the excitement of the children. I love illustrations that capture the details in their expressions as well as their cultural background. These are just incredibly warm and evocative. The guide at the back is helpful and informative as well—worth an exploration into something that may be somewhat familiar to the general reader but offers rich insight into the beauty of another culture. I've become a fan of Maha Addasi's work and highly recommend this book.

Alya Hameed

DECK THE HALLS by Norman Rockwell

Rockwell, Norman. Deck the Halls. New York: Atheneum Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-4169-1771-7, $ 16.99. All ages.

I close Deck the Halls and smile. I smile because it brings back warm Christmas memories. I smile because I smiled so many times throughout this book. And I smile because I know I will smile again the next time I read it.

Deck the Halls is illustrated with 14 of Norman Rockwell's Christmas paintings. The title page opens with Rockwell's Golden Rule, Saturday Evening Post cover from April 1, 1961. The multi-cultural and multi-faith communities represented in it are a beautiful reminder of what is most important, even more than Christmas. Turn the page though, and you're off on a journey accompanied by the familiar lyrics of "Deck the Halls" and pictures celebrating the quintessential American Christmas.

You'll find yourself giving a wry smile when Mom and Dad are caught stitching Santa into his "gay apparel" and you just might find yourself chuckling (or trembling) at the exhilarating (or terrifying) memories elicited by Rockwell's Young Love Sledding. You might find yourself savoring the delightful curiosity of the young boy and pup studying the "...blazing Yule before us" in Is He Coming? (or Little Boy Looking Up Chimney). Then again, you might begin drifting into contemplative silence of how "fast away the old year passes..." as you observe and join the Little Girl Looking Downstairs at Christmas Party. Most of all though, I hope you find yourself feeling some of the joy and wonder that is—"heedless of the wind and weather"—displayed on the faces of Couple Ice Skating.

This is a book I plan to read multiple times. In fact, I just might hold my family hostage before we open presents on Christmas morning—or Christmas Eve (patient, we are not!).

Stephanie Ashley

THE GOLDEN CHRISTMAS TREE by Jan Wahl

 

Wahl, Jan. Illus. Leonard Weisgard. The Golden Christmas Tree. New York: Golden Book, 1988. ISBN: 978-0-375-82647-1, $ 8.99. Picture Book

This is a gentle book that quietly celebrates the possibility of peaceful collaboration and joyful celebration.

"All was hushed in the forest for the animals' Christmas. The elephant brought a great fir tree from far away"—and thus, Jan Wahl starts her story of belonging and community where each animal has a special role. Elephant brings the fir tree and cardinal announces its coming. Kindness and compassion appear as "wolf [helps] the red deer" and they are joined by "the badger and a family of foxes—guided by bats who whistle soft carols." In allusions to the Christian Bible, squirrels tell of the first Christmas and, once more, the lion lies down with the lamb.

Back to the forest, however. All the animals contribute to the making of a Christmas tree. Leonard Weisgard ably illustrates the light-hearted playfulness of baby foxes, the befuddled confusion of llamas, and the pride of a tiger as he strings purple bead after purple bead. Monkeys enthusiastically adorn branches with baubles and giraffe arrives to place a star atop the tree. Now it is time, and all the animals of the forest gather together, and it is "hushed in the forest, hushed, hushed, hushed, hushed."

It is that "hushed," golden moment that is far too often absent, and I find myself longing for the silence and peacefulness that ritual provides in the chaos of the holiday season.

Stephanie Ashley

POLAR SLUMBER by Denis Rockhill

 

Rockhill, Denis. Polar Slumber. Green Bay: Raven Tree Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-974199-28-3, $16.95. Ages: Picture Books (Pre-school to Grade One). Bilingual text also available.

Polar Slumber is the perfect bedtime story. A young child ventures out into freshly fallen snow. Warmly bundled in a knitted sweater, scarf, and mittens she forms a large snowball. Rather than make a snowman, though, she shapes a polar bear's snout.

That night, as she falls asleep, her playful, outdoor imaginations of the day seep into the warmth of slumber. She is invited by a mother and baby polar bear—her "gentle, furry friends"—to "explore the northern beauty on [a] moonlit arctic journey."

All along, she is watched over by the mama and baby polar bear as a snow owl swoops overhead and she pets an adorable, large-eyed seal and runs her hands over a wolf pup. They travel until their "eyelids grow heavy...[and they] snuggle together" as her soft covers morph into a polar bear or perhaps the polar bear morphs into her soft covers.

From what I can tell, Denis Rockhill is both author and illustrator of Polar Slumber and he competently fulfills both roles. The knitted texture of the young girl's clothes and blanket nicely offset the delicate, peaceful feel of the wintery blue and white of the arctic animals and surroundings. An additional curious feature worth mentioning is what appears to be an alternative story along the bottom of every other page. Done in graphite, it adds yet another dimension to a lovely book.

Stephanie Ashley

TOO MANY TAMALES by Gary Soto

Soto, Gary. Too Many Tamales. Illus. Ed Martinez. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993. ISBN 0-399-22146-8. $14.95. Grades 1-3.

Award-winning author Gary Soto has written dozens of books for young readers, and Too Many Tamales is another in his catalog of tales that illuminate Mexican American culture. Too Many Tamales tells the story of Maria’s Christmas tragedy-turned-comedy when she thinks she has lost her mother’s diamond ring in the masa of the tamales. It takes the reader into the home of Maria and her beautiful and loving family. We also become familiar with her cousins Dolores, Teresa, and Danny.

The book is beautifully written in English with a few interjections in Spanish. The words in Spanish are italicized and are simple words such as niña and masa. The print is easily readable, and the pictures add to the comprehension for readers who struggle with the text alone. Too Many Tamales contains dialogue and many descriptive adjectives. It is easy to relate to this book, and I think children of every age would enjoy it. I especially recommend Too Many Tamales for a first-grade read-aloud.

Reviewed by Chelsea Benson


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

CELEBRA HANUKKAH CON UN CUENTO DE BUBBE by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. Celebra Hanukkah con un cuento de Bubbe. Illus. Mariano Epelbaum. Miami: Santillana USA Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. ISBN 1-59820-122-0. $11.95.

Categories: K-6 Social Studies/Language Arts/Math; Family, Food, Generosity, Multicultural, Myths and Legends, Expository Text, Dialogue, Character, Parts of a Story, Number Sense.
More info: www.santillanausa.com

Renowned children’s book authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy take us around the Hanukkah table at Bubbe’s (Yiddish for grandma) house where three siblings learn about generosity as they are each tempted by the golden fried latkes laid out before them. In true culturally Jewish fashion, Bubbe tells a traditional Hanukkah tale of two brothers during the time of Jewish slavery that mirrors the generosity the children are displaying to one another. The first part of the book is written in dialogue as it tells its story.

Originally written in Spanish, this book also has an English translated version available. Older readers could work on translation skills by analyzing the text of both copies. For both versions, Mariano Epelbaum provides bright and inviting illustrations, with many clearly articulated details ripe for student questioning. Translations for Yiddish words are provided at the bottom of each page where they are used in a text size that may require teacher assistance depending on the age.

The second part of the book reads as expository text about the aspects of Hanukkah. It has much more of a textbook quality in that it features photographs in place of Mariano Epelbaum’s illustrations. Readers may want to know that the majority of the photographs are of Ashkenazi Jews, in other words light skinned, as opposed to providing the reader with a more representative picture of multicultural Jewish identity. Even with this critique, however, this seems to be the only children’s book about Hanukkah written in Spanish in current circulation. The section on the dreidel game can also be easily converted into a collaborative math lesson on number sense. In the end of this informational section, a variety of other winter holidays that feature lights are presented. This can be used to encourage multicultural dialogue and further analyzed with the use of a Venn diagram.

This book is perfect for K-6, depending on the intention of instruction. Social Studies topics of family, food, generosity, and multicultural awareness can all be easily addressed. Language arts in either English or Spanish, depending on the copy, can cover myths and legends, expository text, and elements of a story. As mentioned earlier, math lessons on number sense can also be found within these pages. It is also simply an entertaining read for learners of all ages who would like to learn more about the Hanukkah holiday.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Aspen Shirley-Dancoff


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

PERFECT SOUP by Lisa Moser

Moser, Lisa. Perfect Soup. Illustrated by Ben Mantle. New York, NY: Random House, 2010. ISBN 978-0-375-86014-0. $16.99. Ages 4-7.

Perfect Soup is about Murray the Mouse’s quest to obtain a carrot, which is the only ingredient he is missing from his recipe to make Perfect Soup. Murray really wants his soup to be perfect, so he runs out and asked Farmer for a carrot. Farmer makes a deal with Murray that if he hauls logs of wood for him, he will give him a carrot. Murray can’t actually do it,  so he goes to Horse for help, but Horse wants Murray to get him some jingle bells for his help. Murray goes on and on asking various people for help with all the tasks he agreed to do until he can’t take it anymore. Everyone wants another favor. All the while he is running he keeps passing by Snowman, who tries to get his attention, but Murray keeps ignoring him. Finally, when Murray is at his wits’ end, Snowman comes to help Murray without asking for anything in return. Murray is finally able to make his soup, but it not a carrot that makes it perfect; it is Snowman’s friendship and company.

Perfect Soup is a lovely story that details what friendship is all about. Asking and receiving favors from others is fine and has its place, but nothing beats a gift, where nothing is asked for or expected in return. Murray is so busy arranging favors for everyone that he almost misses out on the simple help and friendship Snowman has to offer. The story contains a lot of back and forth dialogue as Murray keeps having to reiterate the chain of favors he must arrange; this repetition makes the text cyclical, pleasurable, and easy to follow for children. The illustrations depict a beautiful and whimsical winter wonderland full of people and anthropomorphized creatures. It is an outstanding winter book to enjoy.

Joyce Myers