Fawzia Gilani-Williams

"A garden is a prayer. It is also a promise. In a Moroccan village, a Jewish boy and a Muslim boy are best friends. Jacob and Hassan play together every day in the cool shade of Jacob’s family garden. They take care of the garden together, watching the roses and the orange trees grow tall. When news of terrible things happening to Jews in Europe reaches their little village, Jacob’s family must leave Morocco. Hassan promises to care for their beloved garden. “While the garden lives, our friendship will never die," Jacob says. Years pass until, one day, the prayer of the garden is answered."… (more)

The power of true friendship lasts through time and distance.
Two boys who are forever friends of differing cultures and living in a small rural area of Morocco are forced apart by world events. Even after two generations they remain committed friend awaiting reunion. Very moving and reassuring that good remains in the world.
The illustrations by Cinzia Battistel are delightful, clear, imaginative, striking, and brilliantly colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and is great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Lerner Publishing Group/Kar-Ben Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!… (more)

Nabeel's New Pants is a funny story about a kind man who buys gifts for his family and a pair of pants for himself. However the pants are four fingers too long and need to hemmed. In a big confusion somehow every ends up mistakenly taking four fingers off the pants until they are the length of shorts. They all come together and fix them just in time for the celebration at the mosque for Eid. The book introduces some basic vocabulary from the middle east and a small window into what normal family life is like there. It would be a useful and light book to use to teach about Islam or middle eastern cultures. The illustrations are cartoonish and would be interesting enough for a young reader.… (more)