A review by backonthealex
My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin

4.0

Now an adult, Mina lovingly remembers her grandmother who was living with her family during her childhood. As a child, Mina loved to do everything her grandma does. Every morning, Mina and her grandmother would greet the day with prayer. Afterward, they would await the delivery of their daily bread, part of which they would share with their neighbors, Mina's best friend Annette and her grandmother. Later, in the garden, while grandmas knitted, Mina and Annette played. When grandma sewed some new chadors, Mina would use the chadors to build a pretend rocket ship, draping them on the table. During Ramadan, Mina always ate with her grandmother, even when she was too young to fast. Grandma sewed Mina's first chador when she was older and together they walked to the mosque. There, grandma prayed that Annette's grandmother would go to heaven, and at church, Annette's grandmother prayed that Mina's grandma would also go to heaven. This warm tribute to her grandmother is also a nice introduction to Islamic traditions and an inclusive Iran unfamiliar to today's kids. The mixed media illustrations are done in soft pastels with lots of Persian elements included. This is an engaging story that should get kids talking about the things they like to do with their own grandparents.