Author: Taghreed Najjar
Illustrator: Maya Fidawi
Publisher: Crackboom! Books, 2018
Age: 3-7
Themes: watermelon, food, eating habits
Opening: Noura is a little girl who loves to eat watermelon.
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Noura is crazy about watermelon. She wants to eat nothing else, every day, at every meal. In fact, Noura thinks there is no such thing as too much watermelon. Until one night, when the watermelon she has hidden in her room to eat all by herself begins to grow and Noura gets taken on a wild watermelon adventure! A story that can be the springboard for a discussion on favorite foods, eating a balanced diet, sharing with others and trying new foods.
I picked this book because: it was enthusiastically recommended by one of my storytime gang kids, and they laughed while telling me about it and we laughed later reading it! I love the illustrations and how much was added in them, allowing the main character’s culture to feel just like mine (love that candle on top of the washing machine in the kitchen), yet different, all wrapped in a story we can all relate to if you’ve ever had a favorite food. Highly recommend it for the layers and the humor!
Resources/activities: Use the book for a plethora of discussion springboards:What is the same and what is different in Noura’s household? What foods do you love? Would your parents react like Noura’s when she wouldn’t finish her dinner? and so on. Draw pictures of your favorite foods, or perhaps prepare them and share!
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
julie rowan-zoch 