August 1, 2023
PreS-Gr 3-In postwar Iraq, Mooz gets teased about his name. With more than one family member named Ali or Mohammad, he is the only Mooz, and it means banana. When Mooz finds out the story behind his name, however, he feels proud and more resilient to the teasing. The modern, cartoonish artwork lends an air of humor to the story and almost has a street art feel to it. The highly detailed pictures will give readers a peek at an Iraqi cityscape and how it may differ from their own. The setting of the story can also provide some inroads for the experiences of others: the story occurs during and after the Gulf War, when sanctions heavily impacted how most people lived. This is an easily relatable book with a setting that makes it a solid choice for a lesson in compare and contrast. VERDICT A good picture book choice for libraries needing stories to help young readers build empathy and understanding of other cultures as well as connecting to their own experiences.-Debbie Tanner
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Starred review from June 1, 2023
An Iraqi boy growing up during the Gulf War comes to terms with his name. Mooz dislikes his name, which means banana in Arabic. His classmates mock him because he's named after a fruit considered strange. Bananas can't grow in Iraq's desert climate, and they become impossible to find during the war, when international sanctions reduce most families' groceries to carefully rationed basics like tea, flour, rice, and beans. But everything changes when Mooz asks his mother how she chose his name and she tells him the story of his birth. After years of being unable to get pregnant, she dreamed that she was feeding a baby a banana. After she told Mooz's father about the dream, he drove for hours to find her a banana, and soon after, Mooz was born. After hearing this story, Mooz becomes proud of his name and defends it from his teasing classmates. When the Gulf War ends, bananas are plentiful in Iraq, and Mooz at last tries his first banana. This vibrantly illustrated picture book introduces children to the toll of war through a relatable experience: learning the meaning of one's name. Mooz emerges as a fully formed, layered character, while the Iraq setting is richly drawn. The stylized artwork has an appropriately dreamy feel in places. (This book was reviewed digitally.) What's in a name? Plenty, as this clever and poignant tale makes clear. (Picture book. 4-8)
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