Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
By Lucinda Dyer,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Lots of great life lessons as families celebrate holiday.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
In ONCE UPON AN EID, Muslim families from around the world celebrate the the most joyful festival of the year. Hana and her family travel from Philadelphia to New York City to spend the holiday with her father's family, who are Mandinkas from Guinea and love really spicy food. Eid for Nadia's family is different this year because her mother is ill. But then joy arrives with a bus full of family and friends and a huge box of donuts. Eleven-year-old-Leila begs her mother to let her start wearing a hijab this Eid. Humza's parents won't be at home for Eid as they're making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Seraji captures the moon (with the help of a donkey named Pickles) in the panels of a graphic story. Greek families arrive with food and gifts for Syrian refugees in their town. Makayla discovers that an Eid dress made with love is better than the fanciest dress from a store. It's Maya's first Eid since her parent's divorce, and she's decided to run away. Deyanna's family is driving to celebrate Eid with her grandparents in Sydney, Australia, and she's trapped in a car with her really annoying (to her) younger brothers and sister.
Is It Any Good?
This vibrant, heartwarming, and joyful collection of stories features diverse characters who offer readers lessons in being generous, appreciative, and accepting. Once Upon an Eid includes an equally diverse group of contributors: Pakistani American Hanna Khan (Amina's Voice), Australian Palestinian Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big in This?), N.H. Senzai (Shooting Kabul), who grew up in San Francisco and Saudi Arabia, Malaysian Hanna Alkaf, and Jordanian American illustrator Sara Alfageeh.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they learned from Once Upon an Eid about how different Muslim families can be. Is there a family in the book that's a lot like your own family?
Does your family have a favorite holiday tradition? Is there a tradition you'd like to start?
Have you ever found it hard to share?
Book Details
- Authors: S.K. Ali, Aisha Saeed
- Genre: Short Stories
- Topics: Book Characters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Holidays
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Amulet Books
- Publication date: May 5, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 272
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 2, 2021
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Where to Read
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