The Night Before Eid

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

Celebrate the end of Ramadan with this luminous Muslim family story about faith, history, and delicious foods. 

On the night before Eid, it’s finally time to make special sweet treats: Teita’s famous ka’ak. Zain eagerly unpacks the ingredients from his grandmother’s bulky suitcase: ghee from Khalo Karim, dates from Amo Girgis, and honey from Tant Tayseer—precious flavors all the way from Egypt. Together with Mama and Teita, Zain follows his family’s recipe and brings to life Eid songs and prayers, pharaonic history, and the melodies and tastes of his Egyptian heritage.This Muslim holiday story, featuring a delicious ka’ak recipe, is a satisfying addition to a joyful and expansive Eid.

About the Author

Aya Khalil is the award-winning author of The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story, which is an NCTE’s Charlotte Huck Award Recommended Book and the winner of the Arab American Book Award, among other honors. Aya holds a master’s degree in education and works as a freelance journalist, whose articles have been featured in The Huffington Post and Brit & Co., among other publications. She immigrated from Egypt to the United States when she was young and currently lives with her partner and three children in Northwest Ohio. Aya invites you to visit her online at: ayakhalil.com

Rashin Kheiriyeh was born in Khorramshahr, Iran. She received a PhD in illustration and an MFA in graphic design from Alzahra University in Tehran. She has published over eighty books and created illustrations for The New York Times. Rashin received the 2021 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picture Book of the Year Award and was a 2017 Maurice Sendak Fellow. She won the New Horizon Award at the Bologna Book Fair. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and lives in Washington, DC. Rashin invites you to visit her online at rashinart.com