skemamimpi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
bookishaddictions's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
So I decided during the Christmas season to try to fit some non-Christian holiday stories as well; one of these books ended up being Once Upon An Eid. I found the stories were very intriguing, as I loved getting to see the world from a different perspective. I also round the collection to be informative, as I had not previously known much about Eid or its significance within Islam. I learned about the beauty of young women first adopting the hijab, the emphasis placed on family, and the preaching of love. While I knew that the media often unfairly (and offensively) portrays Muslim characters, I was thrilled to experience these stories that showed how beautiful Islam can and is meant to be. This anthology would be a great way to open the discussion between parents and their children about different cultures and beliefs, as these stories are told from the perspectives of younger children and teens. These stories display how that despite all of our differences in cultural practices, we are all human- ultimately we all need to love and be loved. I found this anthology on accident while browsing the seasonal reads category on Libby, but I encourage you now to go find this one with a purpose- to build understanding and to learn of a holiday that likely holds significance for someone within your own community 🕌🌝
thebookguru's review against another edition
4.0
Wholesome and Pure and a great gift for Eid!!! A lovely collection of stories that will hopefully inspire other Muslims to write their OWN Eid stories!
Lovely to see a variety of different voices and stories and I’m really glad and grateful this book exists!
Lovely to see a variety of different voices and stories and I’m really glad and grateful this book exists!
smashley_rr's review
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Enjoyed these diverse short stories focused around Eid celebrations and traditions! Learned a lot about different Muslim traditions all over the world for Eid, and also discovered some new authors to check out! Great light book, easy to pick up, read a story, and then come back for another later!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia, Racism, and Classism
literallysoph's review
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
a_ab's review against another edition
3.0
This is a collection of short stories from different authors, which makes it hard to rate - there were a couple of very interesting and emotional ones and a couple of boring or unpleasant ones. The rest were solidly in the middle, but seemed somewhat repetitive. The stories are very middle grade with the exception of one, which was Pre-K at most. And almost all stories are saccharine sweet - it's probably the theme's fault, but I was hoping for more nuance and reality.
eme20's review against another edition
5.0
I want 165 copies for classroom, and one for me. I’ll settle for a class set for them to share!! But I need this book for my kids!! I truly loved all of them, and I know this will be a featured book at some point.
michalannne's review against another edition
5.0
Such sweet stories from various youngsters.
I loved learning new vocabulary and learning about the joy and celebration surrounding Eid.
I loved learning new vocabulary and learning about the joy and celebration surrounding Eid.
harukoreads's review against another edition
4.0
Very sweet, wholesome, and diverse - I was pleasantly surprised by what a range of voices were present in this collection, and some of the stories were particularly delightful. I imagine for readers who actually celebrate Eid, this could become a seasonal classic!
nooreo's review against another edition
put this in all elementary/middle school libraries NOW!
recommend: yes. note that the stories are geared towards children/middle grade! and that they all kind of aim at teaching a lesson (ex: sharing is caring) that children stories tend to teach. wish i had this on my shelf growing up- i absolutely loved the diverse representation as well as the adorable illustrations!!
recommend: yes. note that the stories are geared towards children/middle grade! and that they all kind of aim at teaching a lesson (ex: sharing is caring) that children stories tend to teach. wish i had this on my shelf growing up- i absolutely loved the diverse representation as well as the adorable illustrations!!