Remembering Mom's Kubbat Halab

by Medeia Sharif, Paran Kim (Illustrator)

Overview

When a loved one dies, remembering them through shared experiences and the ways they expressed their love, helps with loss.

Bushra misses her mother, her dayik. So does her brother Sherzat. Mom used to help them with homework, read to them, and tuck them into bed at night. For Bushra, she would cook kubbat halab, perfectly golden rice-and-potato patties made without meat. No one can make kubbat halab quite like Mom, but Bushra wants to try.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807569320
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	10/27/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,166,068
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

By day, Medeia Sharif is a middle school English teacher. By night, she’s a multi-published author of picture books, novels, and short stories for all age groups. She received her master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. Born in New York City, she currently lives in Miami, Florida.

Paran Kim grew up in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Tokyo when she was twenty to study fine art. However she realized her true passion lay in making picture books and became a full-time illustrator. She now lives in Dresden, Germany, with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

"Sharif deftly portrays a child's grief after losing a parent…"—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2022-08-31
A little girl and her brother miss their dayik and their favorite meal she used to prepare.

Bushra and her brother, Sherzat, miss Mom and all the things she did for them. Since her death, they have not had their favorite meal, kubbat halab, which she used to prepare for them. Their dad isn’t much of a cook. Grandma and then Aunt Latifa both claim to “make the best kubbat halab,” but neither of their versions is quite like Mom’s. Bushra decides she can make it with Sherzat and Dad and shows them the steps. But when their kubbat halab still doesn’t taste like Mom’s, Bushra cries. Her brother and dad comfort her, and Dad reminds Bushra, “Your dayik will always be with us.” He adds, “And we’ll always remember her, especially when we cook together.” Kim’s gentle illustrations capture Bushra’s emotions—disappointment when she realizes her grandma’s and aunt’s kubbat halab are not like her mom’s, joy as she, Sherzat, and their dad prepare the kubbat halab. Sharif deftly portrays a child’s grief after losing a parent and shows a family healing together through a special meal that brings them memories of a loved one. Language and food references cue the family as Middle Eastern; in an author’s note, Sharif mentions her own Iraqi Kurdish background, discusses kubbat halab, and includes a recipe. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An accessible story about coping with loss. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews