Maymoona’s Moon: A Special Eid Story

PreS-Gr 3–Maymoona plans to be an astronaut when she grows up. Thus, the job of spotting the crescent moon, the signal that Ramadan has ended and Eid has begun, is the perfect task for her. With the logic and planning of a child, Maymoona charts her course, gathers supplies and safety gear, and finds the best high spot for moon sighting. Amid family support and encouragement, Maymoona climbs a backyard tree and waits for the clouds to reveal the moon. She uses a presumably toy camera to capture the moment, and the celebration begins. The gorgeous artwork by Haleem is characteristic of her soft, artistic style and uses slightly muted colors. Characters are mostly light-skinned, and the women wear hijab and long dresses. An end note explains the importance of seeing the crescent moon; for those unfamiliar with Muslim traditions, this would be a good first stop to explain Maymoona’s excitement. There is not a pronunciation key for the Arabic words included in the text.