Deep in the Sahara

by Kelly Cunnane (Author) Hoda Hadadi (Illustrator)

Deep in the Sahara
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Poetic language, attractive illustrations and a positive message about Islam, without any didacticism: a wonderful combination, declares Kirkus Reviews in a starred review.

Lalla lives in the Muslim country of Mauritania, and more than anything, she wants to wear a malafa, the colorful cloth Mauritanian women, like her mama and big sister, wear to cover their heads and clothes in public. But it is not until Lalla realizes that a malafa is not just worn to show a woman's beauty and mystery or to honor tradition--a malafa for faith--that Lalla's mother agrees to slip a long cloth as blue as the ink in the Koran over Lalla's head, under her arm, and round and round her body. Then together, they pray.

An author's note and glossary are included in the back of the book.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review
Cunnane (Chirchir Is Singing) introduces a Mauritanian girl who’s fascinated with the malafa, the veil the women in her family wear. The second-person narration (“you watch Mama’s malafa flutter as she prays”) presents the veil as desirable rather than confining and describes the girl’s wish to wear it so she can be beautiful, like her mother, or mysterious, like her sister. Her relatives reject these superficial reasons. It’s not until the girl shows she understands the malafa as a sign of Muslim belief (“Mama... more than all the dates in an oasis, I want a malafa so I can pray like you do”) that Mama gives the girl one of her own. The warm, affirming portrait of Islam (“A malafa is for faith”) makes this a valuable resource for both Muslim audiences and a broader readership interested in potentially unfamiliar customs and observances of faith. In Iranian artist Hodadi’s U.S. debut, her round-faced characters and affectionate scenes of Mauritanian family life (drinking tea on cushions, carrying trays of goods to market) keep the atmosphere friendly and lighthearted throughout. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Review quotes

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2013:
Poetic language, attractive illustrations and a positive message about Islam, without any didacticism: a wonderful combination."

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, September 9, 2013:
The warm, affirming portrait of Islam makes this a valuable resource for both Muslim audiences and a broader readership interested in potentially unfamiliar customs and observances of faith.

Starred Review, School Library Journal, November 2013:
"This book incorporates authentic cultural details in both the poetic text and the evocative illustrations... [A] lovely original story."

Starred Review, Booklist, November 15, 2013:
The women, all individualized, exude true warmth, and readers will feel a quiet satisfaction when Lalla joins them. A special offering.
Kelly Cunnane
Kelly Cunnane lived in Africa for many years but now resides in Beals, Maine. For You Are a Kenyan Child is her first book for children.

Ana Juan is the illustrator of Elena's Serenade by Campbell Geeslin, which School Library Journal called "a fascinating adventure that explores issues of gender roles, self-confidence, and the workings of an artist's heart" in a starred review. Her paintings have appeared on the cover of The New Yorker, on book and album jackets, on film festival posters, and in several European magazines. She is also the illustrator of Frida by Jonah Winter and the author and illustrator of The Night Eater. She lives in Madrid, Spain.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780525645665
Lexile Measure
890
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Dragonfly Books
Publication date
May 01, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV030110 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Middle East
JUV033000 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | General
Library of Congress categories
-

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