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).

In a bilingual English and Arabic text, Addasi's narrator describes her introduction to Muslim prayer rituals while visiting her grandmother in an unspecified Middle Eastern country. The information imparted about Islam will make this book valuable for many readerships. Rich-hued illustrations with patterned borders reflect the loving familial relationship.

In an unnamed Middle Eastern country, Yasmin learns about Islamic customs and prayer on a visit to her grandmother. Coming from a suburban U.S. home, the girl says that she does not live near a mosque, but she also has not yet learned about the five prayers of the day in her own home—this contrivance sets up the didacticism that follows, but it feels utterly unrealistic. Her grandmother makes her prayer clothes, buys her a prayer rug and takes her to the mosque. Best of all, she gives the girl a surprise gift to help her with her prayer at home. The oil paintings are rich in tone, and the geometric patterns of cloth, rugs and the mosque are engaging, but Yasmin and her grandmother look different on almost every page. This distracts from the story, which, given its evident educational intent, is almost too simple. The names of the different prayers are only given in the explanation for adults, for instance. It is unusual and therefore praiseworthy to see a bilingual English and Arabic book from a major American publisher, but this bland effort fails. (Picture book. 5-8)

A girl's visit to her grandmother in an unnamed Middle Eastern town introduces her to her spiritual heritage in this visually arresting tale, which subtly addresses the challenges and importance of passing on faith traditions from one generation to the next. English text appears with Arabic translation against a beige wash, opposite earth-toned scenes. During her visit, Yasmin observes her grandmother's devotions, involving ritual ablutions, prayer clothes, and a prayer rug, as well as the way the community's shopkeepers and vendors integrate prayer into their daily lives. An appendix describes the five ""Fard prayers"" required by Islam. Ages 7%E2%80%939. (Sept.)

Gr 1-4 Yasmin is visiting her grandmother in the Middle East. She hears the muezzin making his first call to prayer before dawn but is too tired to get up. She watches Teta make wudu (ablution) to prepare for worship. Yasmin wonders how she will know when to pray at home because there are no mosques where she lives, but her grandmother assures her they will find a way. Sadly, the visit comes to an end, and Teta takes Yasmin to the airport. When the girl arrives home, she unpacks her gifts, her prayer costume, and her mat, and she finds a surprise box from Teta. In it, she discovers a miniature mosque that gives the adhan (prayer call) five times a day. This is a beautifully woven tale of grandparent affection and spiritual development. Gannon's illustrations present a warm and authentic balance of Islamic geometric designs and Arab architecture and culture. This bilingual, English and Arabic book ends with an explanation of Salah the five times during the day of worship for Muslims. Familiarizing Islamic prayer through realistic fiction makes this a fine choice for most collections. Fawzia Gilani-Williams, An-Noor School, Windsor, Ontario