Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar
by Mojdeh Hassani (Author) Maya Fidawi (Illustrator)
It's market day for Samira and her grandma! The bazaar is crowded, but this sweet pair knows how to stick together in this silly picture book set in Iran.
Mama Shamsi is off to the market, and today, Samira gets to go with her! Samira loves spending time with her grandmother, and she especially loves her chador, which Mama Shamsi wraps around herself every time they leave the house. As the pair get closer and closer to the market, Samira is worried about getting lost in the crowded streets of Tehran, until she has an idea: She can hide under her grandmother's chador. But when Mama Shamsi says no--if Samira hides under there, the pair of them will look like a strange animal! In imaginary spreads, Samira and Mama Shamsi turn into a donkey, a giraffe, a kangaroo, a turtle--hiding isn't working at all. But maybe there's some other way for Samira to stay safe with her grandma in the crowded market.
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K-Gr 3--A young girl accompanying her grandmother to the bazaar is nervous about getting lost in the busy market. Samira suggests that she hide under Shamsi's chador, perhaps riding on her back or tucked in by her belly. Her grandmother gently turns down each idea, replying that the merchants will think she is a turtle all hunched over or perhaps a kangaroo with a pouch. Illustrations show Shamsi transformed into a mule and even a giraffe too tall to fit on the page, inviting readers to laugh at the silliness. Images also capture the loving relationship between Samira and Shamsi, as well as showing details of the bazaar. Intricate tilework, Arabic script on banners and shop signs, and vendors selling fresh bread all bring the market to vibrant life. The mother-daughter team of authors based the story on their own experiences with a grandmother's chador as a safe place to shelter. Hassani also pulled from her memories of the bazaar she visited during her childhood in Tehran, while the illustrator used her knowledge of the Arab world to make each scene so authentic one can almost smell the steamed beets. VERDICT An affectionate portrayal of a grandmother and grandchild that also showcases a cultural garment in much the same way as Carmen Tafolla's What Can You Do with a Rebozo?--Suzanne Costner
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV030110 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Middle East
Picture books
Imagination
Grandparent and child
Children's stories
Humorous fiction
Iran
Cloaks
Bazaars (Markets)
Tehran (Iran)
