A Time to Pray (English/Arabic)

Maha Addasi Arabic translation by Nuha Albitar Illustrated by Ned Gannon Hardcover English/Arabic From Booklist At her grandmother’s home in the Middle East, a small Muslim girl learns how and when to pray. Woven into the story are the five prayers of the day as Teta and Yasmin move through a day, in which they visit a mosque and enjoy traditional foods. Teta also makes Yasmin special prayer clothes and gives her a prayer rug, and when it is time for Yasmin to leave for her home far away and they hug good-bye at the airport, Teta gives Yasmin a special gift: a prayer clock. There is no mosque near Yasmin’s home, so Dad helps her set the times for the five daily prayers. Each handsome, double-page spread combines dual English-Arabic text and clear, richly colored illustrations that blend oil paintings and collage in glowing shades of brown and red. An affectionate, intergenerational story from the creators of The White Nights of Ramadan (2008). Grades K-3. --Hazel Rochman