Ramadan Rain

A child grapples with “needs and wants and wishes” during Ramadan in this quietly moving picture book from Thompkins-Bigelow and Betawi. As Momma and Haneen take the bus in the rain, the child grumbles, “I miss having a car. I’m getting all wet.” Momma responds, “Duas, or prayers, said on a rainy day get answered. Especially during Ramadan.” At the masjid, Haneen encounters others with new clothes and plushies, and channels a yearning for similar objects into an Eid card for Momma. But Momma’s resultant upset suggests that the items are out of reach and leads Haneen to ask the creator for “what I want most.” On Eid, Momma surprises Haneen, and Haneen makes a new card that illustrates the duo’s bond. Rainy-day visuals contrast with more vibrant hues in delicate illustrations across a work that employs an apt metaphor—weather—for both the family’s economic anxiety and the main character’s internal turmoil. The protagonists are depicted with brown skin; background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)