My First Ramadan - Karen Katz

Henry Holt & Company, 2007
$14.95
24 pages
For: young kids
Rating: 4
Endpapers: Wide vertical stripes with different colors and designs,

Karen Katz is a folksy artist that I like very much. If the illustration is not a two-page spread, the single page of writing has a wide vertical strip along the edge (like a border) that compliments and finishes the page beautifully. She depicts Muslims of every color, ethnicity, and level of involvement. "I see Muslims from Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, North America, and South America."

In clear, simple language Karen Katz describes the annual Muslim month of Ramadan; the customs and reasons behind it. From the point-of-view of an early elementary boy, she describes his day, the fasting from sunup to sundown, the meals, and the three-day festival at the end, Eid al-Fitr. I worked for two years with many Muslims, enjoyed many meals - including during Ramadan, but this simple book gave me more information and insight than I had during those two years. Thanks, Karen Katz!

Ramadan this year was from August 21 - September 19th.
In 2010 it will begin on August 11th and end on September 9th.

The Story of Queen Esther - Jenny Koralek

Illustrated by Grizelda Holderness
2009
Rating: 4
Endpapers: a swirl of dancers on red, by the edge of the sea. Very cool.

This is the ancient story that is commerated by the festival of Purim, a joyous celebration in the Jewish year. Since I'm not Jewish but work at a Hebrew day school, I'm a bit familiar with the outline of the story, but not the particulars. I've read that this version sanitizes the story quite a bit, and that a few of the illustratons have "technical" problems (ie: Jews never kneel to pray, but are depicted as doing so in the story). I actually love the illustrations. They cover the page from edge-to-edge in reds, blues, and browns and are quite lovely.

It's a "typical" bible story with greed, self-importance, death....no I'd better not go in that direction, but to be honest, it does contain all those elements. Koralek has omitted drunkeness and decadence and similar actualities, I'm sure.

This is the story of how Esther becomes a Persian queen, hides her Jewishness, and with the help of her cousing Mordecai, who helped raise her, saves the Jewish people from annhialation. You can look up the story on Wikpedia, which will tell it far better than I.

The Yankee at the Seder - Elka Weber

Illustrator: Adam Gustavson
2009
$16.99
Rating: 4. 5
Endpapers: Gray

This is based on a true story - which always makes a tale extra enjoyable - and told from the point-of-vew of a 10 year old Confederate boy in Virginia. The South has just surrendered to the North and Yankees are patrolling the streets of the town. Jacob is munching on a piece of matzah when a Yankee sees him and asks for a piece. He is invited by Jacob's mother to join them for the seder. Myer Levy happily accepts.

There are times that are a bit awkward for members of two opposing sides right after the war, but their differences are outweighed by their similarites. This is a charming story - including telling about a gift received for Passover the following year.

Included are two pages on "the real story" (with photos), a page of explanation about Passover, and a short glossary of Hebrew terms. An excellent, enjoyable read.

The Secret Seder - Doreen Rappaport

illustrator: Emily Arnold McCully
Published: 2005
Rating: 4
REad: Jan. 25, 2009
Endpapers: Rust

A young nameless Jewish boy must pretend to be Catholic in order to hide - he lives in France during the time of Hitler. It is spring, the time of Passover, but Jews cannot safely celebrate. Marching black boots are everywhere. One night the boy's father takes him out of the village and up the mountainside to a dark cabin where a small graoup of men are daring enough to celebrate the Passover Seder. They whisper. They have no food and only one piece of matzo. But they share the ritual of the seder and the young boy, for the first time, participates in the Hebrew his mother has been secretly teaching him.

Powerful story. Beautiful - though dark - illustrations. Another piece in a sad, sad story that must continue to be told.

Night of the Moon - Hena Khan

A Muslim Holiday Story
Illustrator: Julie Paschkis
For: Kids (and clueless adults)
Published: 2008
Rating: 5
Read: October, 2008 (during Ramadan!)
Endpapers: Blue/Aqua/Gold detail from Islamic tiles

Two wonderful things about this picture book - the illustrations and the information.

The illustrations. They remind me of batik, my very favorite fabric. The outline for each picture is done in an ivory/cream-colored line. How? It says they were "rendered in gouache and permanent masking medium on paper". I'm not sure what this means, but it sure is intriguing. And there's no negative space. None at all. Each illustration is framed by a shape; rectangles, tablets, mosque-shaped araches. And outside those frames, all the way to the edge of the page, is an Islamic tile motif...lots and lots of different designs in rich blues, aquas, turquoises. Camels and suns and leaves and flowers. Its almost like that thin ivory/cream line is the grout holding hundreds of pieces of ceramic together. Mmmmmm. Love it.

The information. The story is about Yasmeen, a Muslim girl living in the US. At the beginning of the month of Ramadan (the ninth month in the Muslim year) Mr. Sanchez, her teacher, introduces the holiday to his multi-racial class. Throughout the story we learn about fasting, special meals, partying, gift-giving, henna hand-painting, Eid, and how the moon and lunar calendar are the basis for the Muslim calendar.

I've been lucky enough to attend two different end-of-Ramadan feasts with Turkish friends. The food! The graciousness! Another wonderful culture to savor and enjoy. And this book celebrates this holiest of months in a gorgeous feast for the eyes. Great book.

Hanukkah Moon - Deborah da Costa

Illustrator: Gosia Mosz
For: Kids
Pub: 2007
Rating: 3/5
Read: Sept. 11, 2001

Isobel is visiting her Aunt Luisa, recently arrived from Mexico, for a couple of days of Hanukkah. Aunt Luisa is a university photography teacher and lover of wildlife. She gives Isobel her own camera and introduces her to the birds and animals in her backyard at night. She also teachers her about "Rosh Hodesh", the luna nueva, the new moon, when the bright side of the moon is facing AWAY from the earth. This she calls the "Hanukkah Moon." In the extreme darkness the animals feel safe and come out to enjoy the feast of nuts and berries that Aunt Luisa and Isobel have left them.

Apparently this celebration of the Hanukkah moon comes from the Sephardic Jews (originally from Spain) who settled in Latin America. Particularly important is for kids to see that there are Hispanic/Latino Jews....that, indeed, Jews live in every country and are from many, many backgrounds. This book really showed me that now matter how much I try not to stereotype, I still do. It was so cool to see Hispanic Jews celebrating Hanukkah - Jewish, not Roman Catholic.

The illustrations are not in what I consider the "traditional" Hanukkah colors of blues and silvers, nor of the "traditional" primary colors of Latin America. They are in gorgeous purples, oranges, and yellow-orange.. Different and unusual, this was a fun book to read. A glossary in the back and an author's note in the front are helpful and informative.