cover image Nabeel's New Pants: An Eid Tale

Nabeel's New Pants: An Eid Tale

, , illus. by Proiti Roy. . Marshall Cavendish, $15.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-7614-5629-2

In this sweet, O. Henry–like story, a cobbler who is always thinking of others has only one favor to ask: that somebody take just a little time out from Eid preparations to hem his new pants—which are “four fingers too long,” as the book's refrain puts it—so he can wear them to the celebration (the Muslim holiday, and other Arabic words sprinkled throughout the text, are defined in the book's glossary). When it finally dawns on his wife, daughter, and mother how fortunate they are to have the generous, even-tempered Nabeel in their lives, each one in turn takes up a needle and thread—leaving the ever-patient Nabeel with the equivalent of capris. Gilani-Williams's (The Lost Ring ) storytelling is brisk and cheery, and any child who has felt relegated to the fringes of a busy, holiday-obsessed household should identify with Nabeel's comic plight. While Roy's (What Should I Make? ) crisp ink and paint cartoons don't offer much of a sense of place or culture, her focus on universally domestic details should ensure a broad appeal. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)