The Best Eid Ever
Aneesa, apparently living in the U.S., misses her parents, who are in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage hajj, but she enjoys celebrating Eid al-Adha with her grandmother. They go to the prayer hall to hear a sermon. Afterwards, over doughnuts, she befriends two girls and learns that they have escaped from a war-torn country. Later, Aneesa talks with her grandmother about refugees and gains an ally in her plan to help her new friends, who appear to be poor and hungry. Although the text of this picture book is a little longer than most, the clearly written story will interest many children, including those who have never heard of Eid al-Adha. Jacobsen’s pastel-pencil pictures illustrate the story with warmth. Appended are a glossary, a pronunciation guide, and explanations of references that may be unfamiliar to children. By the writer of My Name Is Bilal (2005), this is a welcome addition to holiday collections. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan