by Wadia Samadi and Mo Duffy Cobb
illustrated by Lisa Lypowy
Acorn Press, 2022
ISBN 978-1-7736-6096-7
$14.95, 34 pp, ages 6 – 11
acornpresscanada.com
At the core, we are all human beings. Crescent Moon Friends introduces us to Amelia and Aisha, two grade 6 girls who become friends and teach each other about their own family cultures and traditions. Amelia and her family show famous Canadian kindness and compassion, while Aisha and her mom, who are refugees from the war in Kabul, Afghanistan, teach Amelia’s family the Muslim way of kindness and compassion. Highlighting their similarities and differences, the text flows through a year of the girls’ teaching, learning, respecting, and growing together as members of the same human family. This book can be welcoming to newcomers and helpful to children who may not be familiar with refugees, immigrants, or Muslims, as it shows our common humanity and how friends have many similarities as well as differences. Creative Amelia and scientific Aisha remain friendly and kind as they journey and learn together about school subjects, culture, traditions, family, and life.
Classroom Connections: A great text to compare and contrast main characters, family traditions, holidays, and celebrations (consider using a Venn diagram as a graphic organizer). Rich as a read-aloud or a multi-day study— every page is filled with images and ideas to springboard discussions, research, and reflection. An excellent first-month of school tone-setter for inclusiveness and community development discussions.
Review by Amanda Parker.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2023 issue.