Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices

"Fifteen accomplished Muslim writers from various regions and backgrounds share Eid-themed short stories in this middle-grade collection.

Stylish Hawa from Philly spends Eid in New York City with the Mandinka side of the family and learns to get along with her cousin. Kareem buys himself a new bike,

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then learns how to embody the meaning of his own name: “generous.” Most of the young protagonists live in majority non-Muslim countries—Americans of various ethnicities in the United States, a Syrian family living in a refugee camp on a Greek island—and identity issues are sometimes in the foreground. The traditions depicted vary, but the themes of family, community, and faith permeate the volume. Whether making or buying special foods—Eid brownies, doughnuts, lontong—or taking care of younger siblings, these young heroes and heroines help make Eid special for others. The diversity within the collection is impressive, including several blended families and a recently converted one, and while the writing varies in style and quality, each story is engaging, full of emotion and thought. Particularly powerful are Jameela Thompkins-Bigelow’s poem connecting present-day Eid scenes to imaginings of the early Muslims who arrived in the Americas enslaved and Hanna Alkaf’s lyrical account of a Malay girl’s attempt to save Eid for her family. A well-placed graphic story by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Alfageeh, who also contributes a frontispiece to each story, provides a reprieve midway through the book.

This thoughtful and uplifting volume will keep readers turning pages year-round; here’s to many more. (Anthology. 8-12)" www;kirkusreviews.com, A Kirkus Starred Review

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