Looking for the Eid Moon

by Sahtinay Abaza, Sandra Eide (Illustrator)

Overview

Sara can't wait for Eid, the Muslim holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan. It's a wonderful holiday with festive decorations, special foods, and family and friends getting together. But Eid won't begin until the crescent moon is spotted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534113091
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	02/15/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 7 Years

About the Author

Sahtinay Abaza grew up in the United Arab Emirates before making Florida her permanent home. As a mother of two, she admired how fun and whimsical the holidays are in the United States. This motivated her to write her first picture book about the holiday her family celebrates, Eid. Looking for the Eid Moon is inspired by her own family tradition.

Sandra Eide is a picture book illustrator and watercolor artist. Her art is influenced by her childhood in the Pacific Northwest, her family and animal friends, and her multicultural heritage. She loves working on stories with an emphasis on characters, connections, and nature. Sandra lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her family and two dogs.

Editorial Reviews

A fine story of courage, magic, and facts about the Muslim Eid holiday merge in a tale that features educational and cultural revelations.

Donovan's Literary Services

...Will prove a welcome, entertaining, informative, and unreservedly recommended pick for family, elementary school, and community library picture book collections.

Midwest Book Reviews

03/01/2024

PreS-Gr 2—Sara and Lulu excitedly wait for the beginning of Eid, when the crescent moon is spotted. The sisters plan to be the first to see the moon and leave their lantern and light decorated home to lay on a blanket under the cloud speckled sky and wait. Abaza captures the excitement and anticipation that fills them around this joyful holiday as Sara and Lulu make crescent moon smiles and shine their flashlight like the moon. They are brave in the growing darkness and look for the light until being called in by their mother. Author's notes include information about the two Eid holidays and Abaza's own family tradition of moon-rock hunts, which inspired the story. VERDICT With softly hued illustrations, this gentle Muslim holiday story will introduce children to Eid celebrations and is a recommended purchase for holiday collections.—Cassie Veselovsky

School Library Journal

2024-01-05
Sara and her sister eagerly look forward to their family’s Eid festivities.

Sara admires the dress she’ll wear at the upcoming Eid party, while her younger sister, Lulu, peeks out the window looking for the new crescent moon. The moon signifies major holidays in the Islamic calendar, such as the start of Eid, so Sara decides that she and Lulu will be the first to spot it. “Have fun!” Mom calls from the festively decorated living room as the sisters head outside with a flashlight, a blanket, and binoculars. The girls wait, scanning the night sky, until Mom calls them in. The moon has been spotted…but by someone else (backmatter explains that committees monitor the night sky in search of the hard-to-find moon). The girls go inside, disappointed that they didn’t catch the first glimpse. Sara finds a way to cheer up Lulu by creating a jar of “moon rocks” and coins, with a note from “the Eid Moon.” Drawing inspiration from her own childhood pastime, Abaza weaves a tale about the importance of the lunar calendar. Eide’s softly rounded illustrations capture the warmth of a loving family and a close sisterly bond. In the author’s note, Abaza states that the lunar calendar influences the timing of holidays and mentions her own Syrian heritage; she wraps up with words of encouragement for children confronting war and injustice. Sara and her family are light-skinned.

Tender and heartwarming. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews