Vashanti Rahaman

I enjoyed reading about Divali and obtaining a snapshot of the festival. I also thought the theme was well done – meaningful but not overt.
Curricular connections can be made with first through fourth grades. This would be a good book to use in conjunction with a social studies unit to introduce Hinduism and have students examine different religions and cultures around the world; additionally, the story is a good jumping off point to discussing prejudice and how preconceived notions about people can be combated.… (more)

SUMMARY: A boy living in the West Indies wants an evergreen tree for Christmas.

REVIEW: This book is a great look into how the Christmas holiday is celebrated all throughout the world. It contains language and illustrations that are simple enough for children to understand, yet are also slightly challenging. The main message of this book is to be grateful of what you have. For example, one of the characters tell the little boy, "Nice is how you see it, child...nice could be right in front of you, but you busy looking behind." I believe that children will find this book a very interesting, thoughtful read.… (more)

Summary: Joseph wanted to learn how to read and asks his mother to help him by reading to him, but Joseph's mother cannot do this because she cannot read. His mother is sad that she cannot do this so she enrolls herself in to a reading class to learn. Joseph is happy for his mama because they can learn how to read together. In the end, Mama is still learning how to read and her and Joseph share an incredible bond because of this.

Review: Rahaman wrote an excellent book that has a central message of a bond that a mother has with her children. It is not uncommon these days for parents to be put into situations where they cannot help their children with school. Sometimes it is because a parent has not had education and cannot read or it is because times have changed and children are learning more advanced information. Mama loved Joseph so much that she enrolled herself into a course to learn how to read. This should just how much she loves her son and what she will do to help him. The bond between a mother and child is so incredibly strong that most children can relate to the link between Joseph and his Mama.… (more)

I thought that this was a great book. A young boy (Joseph) wants his mother to read to him, but his mother can’t take on this task. Many parents may not have been given the kind of education that is given to their children. This book shows the struggle many parents have with reading. The book shows the love the mother has for her son, as the mother enrolls into a reading class. The boy, who narrates the story, never thinks poorly of his Mama and loves how she tells stories. He says that his Mama is "the best storyteller in the world". This book displays love and hope as the son prays that his mama will learn how to read to him. Overall, I think that this book is great for children to read because it shows that parents go through struggles every day and that a family should always be there for one another. At the end of the book, Mama is able to read sentences to Joseph. Her hard work paid off and Mama and Joseph are able to share a special moment. Overall, the main idea of this book is the love a mother has for her son.… (more)