Reviewed by Heba F. El-Shazli
Review Source: Africa Access
Book Author: Zeena M. Pliska
What is a lullaby? A lullaby is defined as a quiet, gentle song full of soothing refrains to lull a child to sleep and even sometimes the reader, too! However, Egyptian Lullaby by Zeena M. Pliska is a different kind of lullaby — it is an ode, a remembrance, and a tribute to a grand old city, Cairo. It is a memorial honoring Cairo with beautiful, bold, colorful, and lively illustrations by Hatem Aly. The prose has a delightful and energetic pace with sounds introduced and repeated in the story such as swish, swoosh, clip, clop, beep, honk, toot, ruff, ruff, etc. It is an amusing and busy lullaby which could easily not put the reader and children to sleep. Continue reading on Africa Access.
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Egyptian Lullaby by Zeena M. Pliska
Published by Roaring Brook Press on April 18, 2023
Genres: Africa
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Grade K
ISBN: 9781250328052
Review Source: Africa Access
Publisher's Synopsis:
A rich, beautifully layered ode to the great city of Cairo, Egypt, its people, and culture.
Every night, my Ametti Fatma sings the sounds of Egypt to me as I fall asleep.
This is the Nile,
that flows through the city.
Swish, swoosh, swish.
This is the boat,
that glides on the Nile,
that flows through the city.
Swish, swoosh, swish.Each night, a young girl's Auntie Fatma puts her to bed, singing a lullaby filled with rich imagery of her home in Egypt. As Auntie Fatma sings, we are given a glimpse of modern Cairo, from boats making their way down the Nile to gentle calls to prayer from the mosques to young children joyfully playing soccer in the streets.
Join Zeena Pliska and Hatem Aly on a vibrant journey to Cairo in this gorgeous, layered song.
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