Books
A Party in Ramadan
Story by Asma Mobin-Uddin
Illustrations by Laura Jacobsen
Boyds Mills Press
ISBN: 978-1-59078-604-8
Awards
Parent’s Choice Award, 2009
Bank Street Children’s Book Committe Best Children’s Books of 2010
Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices 2010
From Booklist:
“With lively pastel-and-pencil artwork, this warm picture book shows and tells the observance and meaning of Ramadan through the viewpoint of a Muslim child in a diverse neighborhood. … The blend of the upbeat and challenging moments will spark discussion, and a final note fills in more about the holy month and what it means.”
From School Library Journal:
“This is a beautiful tale of a child grasping her identity yet being able to embrace the differences around her. … This is a perfect resource for teaching about choices, sharing, and empathy. Throughout the engaging story, readers are acquainted with Islamic practice. Jacobsenxs skillful, gentle images show harmony in diversity.”
From Kirkus Reviews:
“[T]his is a compassionate family story that functions beautifully as both mirror for Muslim-American children and window for their non-Muslim friends. … A worthwhile addition to the still-too-sparse literature for children about Muslim-Americans.”
The Best Eid Ever
Story by Asma Mobin-Uddin
Illustrations by Laura Jacobsen
Boyds Mills Press
ISBN: 1590784316
Awards
Featured in MOSAIC 2007
15th Annual Skipping Stones Honor Award
Bank Street Book Committee Best Books of 2008
Middle East Book Award Honorable Mention
Storytelling World Resource Awards Honor Book
From The Horn Book:
“K-3 Illustrated by Laura Jacobsen. Her parents on Hajj pilgrimage, Aneesa spends the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha with her grandmother, who tries to cheer her with special foods and presents. When she meets a refugee family, Aneesa plans a special gift for them. The text is sentimental but informative. Pastel pencil drawings showcase Aneesa’s emotions. An author’s note gives more information.”
From School Library Journal :
“Gr 1-4 This beautifully composed story straddles two worldsAmerica and Islamic Indo-Pakistani culture… This is a heartwarming tale of a childxs generosity, and Jacobsenxs illustrations flesh out the warmth and tenderness of the charactersx interaction. This is a welcome contribution, giving much-needed visibility to a celebration observed by over ten million people in North America . A glossary explains the Arabic and Urdu terms.Fawzia Gilani-Williams, Oberlin Public Library, OH ”
From Southern California InFocus:
“Though Muslims pride themselves on the non-commercialization of Eid, many Muslim children approach the Islamic holiday as a chance to stock up on the latest toys, forgetting that most children have little more than nothing with which to celebrate. Asma Mobin-Uddinxs new childrenxs book, “The Best Eid Ever,” is a gentle reminder that what makes Eid special is not the new clothes and toys, but giving from what you have for the sake of Allah. In the beautifully illustrated book, little Aneesa has to spend Eid ul-Adha without her parents, who are in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage.”
From The Edge of the Forest:
“This is a culturally diverse story full of heart and human spirit. Jacobsen’s brilliant illustrations match the moods of the text and introduce new objects, while bringing new life to familiar objects at the same time. A gorgeous picture book that would look perfect on any child’s bookshelf!”
From Young Adult (& Kid’s) Book Central:
“A cultural awakening for curious spirits, this is a fabulous and educational picture book. Jacobsenxs full-page, colorful illustrations show a mastery of light and shadow. They bring life to everyday household objects and parallel the emotions of the text perfectly. A lovely addition to any childxs bookshelf!”
Animal Mischief
Poems by Rob Jackson
Illustrations by Laura Jacobsen
Boyds Mills Press
ISBN: 1590782542
From Kirkus Reviews:
“These short, sly, humorous animal poems with a dollop of science will tickle the funny bone of young readers and encourage imitation. The poet celebrates sloths, penguins, sharks, sea horses, camels, salamanders, lightning bugs, octopi and armadillos, among others…Whimsical illustrations in pastel pen add to the charm. The author, a biologist, concludes with additional facts about each animal. Where the animal poems of Douglas Florian and Jack Prelutsky are popular, this will find an enthusiastic fan club.”
From childrenslit.com:
“The author is a biologist and he has created a series of poems about animals that are full of fun and even silly made-up words. His poem “Follow the Leader” explains that an ant leaves a trail of chemicals so that other ants can find food. The facts are made really amusing by Jacobsen’s drawing of an ant traveling from a table of sweets to a potted plant and then across the body of a sleeping dog–that is the image that will stick in kids’ minds and help them remember the facts. In “Starfish” readers will learn that this creature is really an echinoderm and that it consumes food by turning its stomach inside out. Sounds gross, but there is plenty of information in this brief poem, and humor in the picture of the crab looking like it is going to end up as dinner for this starfish.”
From Booklist:
“Gr. 2-4. Biologist Rob Jackson shares both his knowledge of animals and his way with words in this collection of 18 short, witty poems…Appealing colored-pencil artwork reflects the light tone of the verse. Books of animal poems are not hard to find, but few so successfully integrate zoology with amusing verse. -Carolyn Phelan”
From The Horn Book:
“Accompanied by playful illustrations of humanlike animals, most poems in this humorous collection are about a specific creature.”