When everyone was sharing first-day-of-school books, Our Favorite Day of the Year popped up on tons of lists. I had to wait for our library to get it in and processed, but I was first in line for it when they did… and it’s just delightful! We paired it with Hats of Faith, a terrific board book, for a wonderfully informative and diverse storytime. Read on to see what makes these two books so special!
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Our Favorite Day of the Year, written by A. E. Ali and illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell, introduces us to Musa. He’s nervous about his first day of kindergarten and worried about connecting with his classmates. Musa’s teacher, Ms. Gupta, excitedly tells the students that throughout the year, each child will have a chance to share about her favorite day of the year, so that the class can celebrate too. Along with Musa’s classmates, readers learn about Eid al-Fitr, Rosh Hashanah, Las Posadas, and even Pi Day! A small backmatter spread gives readers a bit more information about each holiday presented in the book. I love the idea of Favorite Day celebrations, and I wish I’d had this book in my classroom days to help my students see their special days reflected in books. I also love that Ali included Pi Day as a special day, reminding us that not all special days connect to religious or spiritual beliefs.
Hats of Faith, a sweet board book by Medeia Cohan and illustrated by Sarah Walsh, teaches young audiences about various head coverings that people might wear to show their love for God. I was familiar with some of the coverings, such as hijabs, kippahs, and parkas, but many others were new to be, either in name or in which group wears them. Cohan closes by writing, “Learning about each other makes it easy to be more understanding. Being understanding helps us spread love and peace.”
What about you — what is YOUR favorite day of the year? I’ve shared mine in the comments!
childrenslitlove.com 