Magid Fasts for Ramadan (Houghton Mifflin Social Studies) - Softcover

E.B. Lewis's watercolor paintings appear in BIG BOY and many other picture books. The recipient of a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration, he lives in Folsom, New Jersey.

Grade 2-4?An interesting look at an Egyptian Muslim family's celebration of Ramadan through the eyes of eight-year-old Magid. The boy wants to fast from sunrise to sunset, a tradition usually reserved for those 12 and older. Mama consents to his skipping breakfast but he secretly plans and executes day-long fasts until his older sister discovers his deception and tells their mother. Magid realizes through gentle reprimand and family discussion that an obedient Muslim is also a truthful one, yet he receives congratulations from his grandfather for his true fast of the heart. Lewis's watercolors blend well with the text and give readers an accurate sense of character, location, and cultural tradition as well as a skillful portrayal of emotional nuance through facial expressions and physical stances. The artist's utilization of Arabic border motifs at the chapter heads echoes patterns seen in tile mosaics of the region. This is a refreshing visit to a '90s Muslim family that accurately represents Islamic practice and the spiritual reasons behind it. This attractive title is a warm and welcome companion to Dianne MacMillan's Ramadan and Id Al-Fitr (Enslow, 1994), which presents information from a purely factual point of view. Magid is an amiable ambassador for his faith.?Celia A. Huffman, Worthington Public Library, OH
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.