Sami's Special Gift

This story is a good effort at explaining the cultural traditions that lie behind the Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha.

Sami is sad, because he recently lost his beloved grandfather, Dede, and it feels wrong for Sami to celebrate without him. But he cheers up when their grandmother Nene sends him his grandfather's tie all the way from Turkiye.

But Eid ul Adha is a festival that celebrates sacrifice and encourages charity and kindness, and soon enough, Sami realises how fortunate he is, and why a willing sacrifice can also bring joy to the giver...

The story is nicely told, and the illustrations are beautiful. The book also allows children to understand better a festival and a community who are widely misunderstood. Highly recommended.

Thank you, Charlesbridge, for the advance reading copy.

I really appreciate picture storybooks like this which gives a clear idea about different cultures with just enough information and good multicultural representation.

The book is about a boy who is going to a carnival and also celebrating Eid al-Adha. The concept of the celebration has been explained and it has been shown with a good example in the book which is making me quite emotional.

Just grab this book. The world needs your love and kindness.

A story of grief, Eid, and giving, I really enjoyed this children’s story. It showed compassion, kindness, and thinking about honoring those before us. Such a simple but beautiful message - for Muslim children and all readers.

Sami can't imagine celebrating Eid without Dede (Grandfather), until a special gift from Istanbul, Turkiye arrives in the mail. It is the tie that Dede always wore on Eid al-Adha. Feeling comforted and connected to his grandfather, Sami participates in the festivities of the day and looks forward to his favourite one, a family outing to the carnival. But along with celebration comes spiritual obligation. Sami learns about the charitable traditions that structure the holiday and decides to give his very special gift to someone else.

This is a touching story with softly-coloured, detailed illustrations. Holidays can lose their enchantment when loved ones have passed away. For this reason, any child who is adapting to loss in moments of celebration will relate to Sami. While the text introduces Turkish words and culture, the majority of Muslim children will see their own families and communities in the images and events.

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing an advanced reading copy of this special gift.

This was my first time learning about Eid al-adha. It is a holiday groningen from kindness and this book is a perfect introduction to teaching children about kindness and paying it forward

Eid Al-Adha is a time for gifting with charity, gratitude, and sharing. It is a Festival of sacrifice in which often a cut of lamb from the butcher given a third each to the poor, friends, family. There is a simple glossary at the end. This is a story of giving by one small boy in the Middle East.
The illustrations by HÜSEYIN SÖNMEZAY are clear, imaginative, colorful, and representative.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, hospital, or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Charlesbridge via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 16 Apr 2024
#Asian and AAPI Stories #Islam #Holiday #EidAlAdha