Product Description

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 favourite 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53963 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781590784310
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
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

Customer Reviews

Warm hearted story about the celebration of sharing
This is a wonderful story about the joy and happiness that comes from giving. It teaches children that true celebration comes from sharing what you have with others. These values are common to Islam, Judaism and Christianity. This book has particular meaning at this time of the year as all three of these faiths celebrate special holidays this December. Indeed, it is better to give than receive.

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
Aneesa wondered if she would be able to enjoy Eid al-Adha, the big Muslim holiday marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. This year her parents had decided to travel to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, and the house seemed so quiet with just Aneesa and her grandmother. But Nonni had a surprise to cheer up her granddaughter: a large gift-wrapped box containing three gorgeous sets of clothes from Pakistan, complete with matching bangles and handmade shoes. She had also prepared Aneesha's favorite curried lamb dish to enjoy after returning from prayers. It took an encounter at the prayer hall with two refugee girls for Aneesha to realize just how fortunate she was. The girls had fled their war-torn country with little more than the clothes on their backs, and their father worked long hours, even on Eid, to try to make ends meet.

An outstanding book, The Best Eid Ever provides readers with an interesting account of the Eid holiday and Muslim culture as seen through the eyes of a young child. Wrapped into the story is an important lesson about the economic hardships associated with war, and a child's growing awareness of the difference between wants and needs. The lush colors and expressive features in the pastel pencil illustrations add a rich dimension to this enjoyable story.

Most Lovely Book for Children
I truly enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations brought it to life. I donated the book to the local elementary school and they loved it. What a nice way to make young students understand other cultures and traditions.