It’s Eid, and Aneesa should be happy, but her parents are thousands of miles away in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage. To cheer her up, her grandmother gives her a gift of beautiful clothes from Pakistan, one outfit for each of the three days of Eid. She even prepares lamb korma, Aneesa’s favorite dinner, which they will enjoy when they return from prayers. At the prayer hall, Aneesa meets two sisters who are not dressed in new clothes for the holiday. Aneesa discovers that the girls are refugees. With their father, they have fled from their war-torn country. Aneesa can’t stop thinking about the girls and what Eid must be like for them. That’s when Aneesa comes up with a plan to help the girls celebrate Eid and make it the best Eid holiday ever.
- ISBN: 9781590784310
- Author: Mobin-Uddin, Asma
- Published: 2007, Boyds Mills Press
- Themes: celebration, discovery, Family, holidays, Prayers, Refugees
- Descriptors: Intermediate (ages 9-14), Middle East, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), Realistic Fiction, Saudi Arabia, United States
- No. of pages: 32
This is a simple story that conveys a great deal of information about Muslim culture and experiences. The author’s note explains the meaning of Eid, one of the two main Muslim holidays. What I found most interesting is how the illustrator has shown the wide variety of people who make up the Muslim culture. I think children of all nationalities will appreciate the story of sacrificing for another and will take away at least a little better understanding of a religion different from their own.