Common Threads: Adam's Day at the Market

PreS-Gr 4-Young Adam visits a bustling outdoor market with his parents. He finds himself lost after a bird catches his attention for a few moments, and he starts looking for his parents. Every woman dressed in blue looks like his mother, and every man in yellow looks like his father. Adam mistakes a man's yarmulke for his father's taqiyah and a shopper's kurta for his dad's shalwar kameez. Every adult he mistakes for his parents seems concerned and tries to reunite him with his family. Through his eyes, emotions, and experience, readers see how similar and connected the various shoppers and vendors are despite our apparent differences. With its vivid and detailed pictures and scant text, this book effectively portrays a culturally and religiously diverse community. Everybody can find representation of themselves in the bright pages and relate to the emotions expressed through its characters. This story will give young children an opportunity to read and tell the story that is unfolding in the pictures in their own words. VERDICT A great selection for libraries, this book is an invaluable source for storytelling and interactive reading while highlighting common values as one human family.-Noureen Qadir-Jafar, Syosset Library, NY