Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Rubina has been invited to her very first birthday party and is elated.  Until she tells her mother about it and her mother insists that she takes her little sister, Sana, or else she can’t go.  Rubina tries to explain that here the kids don’t bring their little siblings to a birthday party, but her mother won’t budge.  Sana is the only little sister at the party, but it isn’t so bad.  Each girl gets a bag of party favors to take home and there is a big red lollipop for each of them.  Sana eats hers right away, and Rubina saves hers in the refrigerator until the next morning.  But when she wakes up eager for a taste, she discovers that Sana has helped herself to it!

A story based on Khan’s own childhood, this book perfectly captures the differences between families of various cultures and backgrounds.  Rubina is simply expected to take her younger sister with her.  And then she is expected to forgive her sister and share her lollipop.  The wonderful piece of the book is when Rubina stands up for her younger sister at the end and helps convince her mother that Sana doesn’t have to bring their even younger sister to her first birthday party.

Illustrated with great style, the Arab-American culture is depicted here with real warmth.  The illustrations have a creamy background color against which the characters and their expressive faces really pop.  The relationships between the characters are strong and interesting.  The final result of Rubina’s kindness rings true and is very satisfying.

This is a beauty of a book with multicultural elements and a strong story and style.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Viking.