The Most Exciting Eid

by Zeba Talkhani (Author) Abeeha Tariq (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Join Safa and her family for Eid al-Fitr in this heartwarming celebration of the holiday!

Eid al-Fitr is nearly here! Follow along with Safa and her loved ones during their vibrant celebration of Eid, the Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Safa can't wait to participate in all of her favorite holiday traditions: decorating the house, eating yummy food, henna, and enjoying the big family gathering! Safa loves sharing special moments and gifts with her family. But she's also having a hard time sharing her Eid gifts with her cousin, Alissa. Will Safa learn what the spirit of Eid al-Fitr is truly all about?

With beautiful illustrations, joyous text, and an important lesson about the gift of giving, this book is perfect for holiday celebrations and family sharing!

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$7.99

Kirkus

A joyful celebration of Eid with a message of community and gratitude. 

Publishers Weekly

Under a thickly rendered new moon, young Safa, who reads as South Asian, cannot wait to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Mom draws henna patterns on their hands to prepare, and Dad appears with Eid decorations, events that see Safa too excited to sleep. At Eid prayers, she asks Allah for a doll, a set of colored pencils, and a bicycle--and opening gifts reveals that she's received them all. But when Safa refuses to share her new cycle with cousin Alissa, her mother reminds her that Eid is about "sharing our joys and our food with those who might be in need." Leaving Alissa behind, the two leave the party to distribute gifts and treats to neighbors, portrayed with various abilities and skin tones, until an end further hints at the import of sharing. Tariq's cartoon illustrations, which feature expressive faces amid bright-hued cultural details, accompany this straightforward holiday tale by Talkhani. A glossary concludes. Ages 4-6. (Feb.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for The Most Exciting Eid:

Brightly saturated, celebratory colors and decorations capture the spirit of Eid. ...A joyful celebration of Eid with a message of community and gratitude. —Kirkus Reviews

Zeba Talkhani

Abeeha Tariq is a Pakistani-Irish freelance illustrator, currently based in the UK. She has been drawing since she could hold a crayon, and in 2020 she was shortlisted for the FAB Prize in illustration. A teacher by day, Abeeha loves glitter, biryani, and all things pop culture.


Zeba Talkhani is the author of My Past Is a Foreign Country: A Muslim Feminist Finds Herself, which was praised in The Times, Vogue, Stylist Magazine, and even by Hillary Clinton. She was born in Sirsi, South India, and currently lives in London, England, with her husband. This is her first children's book.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338877816
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
February 06, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV017090 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Other, Religious
Library of Congress categories
Families
Family life
JUVENILE FICTION / Holidays & Celebrations /
Muslims
Fasts and feasts
Islam
Religious fiction
AId al-Fiotr
Islamic stories

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