Banana Dream written by Hasan Namir with pictures by Daby Zainab Faidhi is a well-designed book about a young boy named Mooz, which means “banana” in Arabic, and how he handles getting bullied by his schoolmates for having such a silly name. One day his mother tells him she ate many bananas before he was born-- so when he was born, she felt the name Mooz was just perfect.
The illustration of the great open-air market with its decorative arch speaks beautifully to food, culture, and history. Young readers will enjoy the details such as women waiting in line while another woman buys oranges, men reading the paper, or on their cellphones, and Mooz running happily across the entire page with his banana!
Much of the story takes place during the Gulf War when food, including bananas, was not available in Iraq. In fact, the people had to depend on the United Nations for food. The illustration of the long line of men, women and children waiting for cartons of water, bags of flour, rice, beans, bread, and milk is powerful.
The story is based on true happenings in the life of the author when he was small and before he and his family moved to Canada. The text describes that family story beautifully. The illustrations produced with digital charcoal and pencil are more than attractive.
Banana Dream written by Hasan Namir and illustrations by Daby Zainab Faidhi is an interesting story about bullying for children 4-8 years of age ----- whether or not they love bananas! (Neal Porter Books/ Holiday House) 2023.
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Activity Questions for Banana Dream
For young readers: As this story tells you, Moos loves bananas. What fruit is your favorite? Why? Make a list of everything you like about your favorite fruit such as its taste, its smell, its shape and its availability. Then draw a picture of your favorite fruit and place it on the refrigerator for all family members to enjoy.
For older readers: Have you ever been bullied because of your name, your clothes, your hair, the food you eat or because you are able to do something extremely well? Think about it. Then write a paragraph about what others said about you and how it made you feel.
All readers: Find the following items in the beautiful illustration on the cover of this book: bananas, oranges, red tennis shoes, a street vendor, a red book, a pigeon, an archway, coins, a flock of birds, and a flag. Some of the items are small and others are large.
