As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
32 pp.
| Lee
| October, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-60060-659-5$17.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Christiane Krömer.
Action-filled collages of traditional fabrics, textured paper, yarn, and more display intricate sky- and cityscapes of Lahore, Pakistan, during Basant, the spring kite festival. Malik, skillfully using his handmade small kite to conquer the bully next door in the kite battle, is a real hero; that he uses a wheelchair is incidental to the story. Useful contextual information is appended.
40 pp.
| Viking
| March, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-06287-4$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Sophie Blackall.
When Rubina is invited to a birthday party, her sister Sana wants to go. Their Pakistani mother doesn't understand American party customs and insists that Sana tag along. When Sana receives an invitation of her own, the tables are turned: the girls' baby sister demands to go too. The expressive illustrations bring this simple sibling rivalry/immigrant story to life.
191 pp.
| Groundwood
| May, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-88899-858-3$17.95
(2)
YA
After her mother's death, Jameela's father takes her from her rural Afghan home to war-wracked Kabul, where he abandons her. Delivered to an orphanage, Jameela flourishes, making a family of her own. Readers will sympathize with the main character and rejoice in the story's ultimate outcome. Khan, a Pakistani-born Canadian, bases her novel on an actual child's experience. Glos.
Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2009
32 pp.
| Viking
| March, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-670-05912-9$15.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Yunmee Kyong.
In an effective, even intriguing, take on "sibling" rivalry set in Pakistan, Rani believes that her mother, Ami, loves her pet hen more than she loves Rani. Kyong's bright, richly colored illustrations are a good match for sensitive Rani's straightforward narration. Khan always stays true to young Rani's self-centered impressions and emotions, never injecting adult interpretations.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2005
40 pp.
| Viking
| March, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-670-03583-1$$15.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
R. Gregory Christie.
This spare tale set in Pakistan has wonderful energy and use of language. Saba fears the chickens lying in wait for her on the way to the bathhouse, but once inside she spies something truly scary--a snake. She courageously traps the snake, despite her fear. When she discovers it's a rope, she laughs, the chickens squawk; she roars, the chickens shriek; and Saba, no longer afraid, chases them. The vibrant Picasso-esque illustrations are powerful.
Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2003
104 pp.
| Whitman
| February, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-8075-5307-7$$14.95
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Patty Gallinger.
Short stories, excerpts from the Koran, poems, and one-page topical features focus on the experience of Muslim children (mainly in Western nations). While the stories are fairly pedantic, the book provides a nonpolitical glimpse into the culture and offers Muslim children moral guidance. In addition to black-and-white drawings, repetitive sidebars explain Islamic concepts and Arabic words. A pronunciation guide is appended.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| September, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-8234-1399-3$$15.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Ronald Himler.
This somber story describes life for a young Afghani refugee, who weaves brightly colored flowered rugs that help him temporarily escape the ugliness of the refugee camp. Himler's restrained watercolor paintings show the pain on the characters' faces but also leave room for hope, as does the text, which recounts grim circumstances without rendering them utterly defeating.