Scan barcode
katiegrrrl's review against another edition
5.0
Young Lalla wants to wear a malafa, a covering some Muslim women wear in Mautitania to cover themselves when they go out in public. Lalla thinks the malafa is beautiful, mysterious, to look like a long ago queen,to belong like the older girls and women. It isn't until Lalla realizes the most important reason for a malafa that she is given one.
The colors are amazing in this book, so bright and vibrant. Deep in the Sahara is a beautiful coming of age story for a young girl to understand the importance of the colorful malafa that all the women around her wear and it's significance to their faith.
This is a wonderful book for introducing why Muslim women cover themselves and gives respect to them for making the choice.
The colors are amazing in this book, so bright and vibrant. Deep in the Sahara is a beautiful coming of age story for a young girl to understand the importance of the colorful malafa that all the women around her wear and it's significance to their faith.
This is a wonderful book for introducing why Muslim women cover themselves and gives respect to them for making the choice.
kristenremenar's review against another edition
4.0
I thought from the title that this book would be a counting book like "Over in the Meadow" where a bouncy rhyme would tell kids about who lives in the Sahara. Nope. Totally different - the best surprise.
Lalla sees the women of her community dressed in beautiful, colorful malafas that cover the head and body and can cover the face. Lalla sees these women as graceful and mysterious. Her mother, grandmother, older sister, etc. have such dignity and quiet ease. When Lalla realizes that wearing the malafa is about faith, she is deemed ready to wear one as she joins her mother in prayer.
I appreciated the author's note because she points out my assumption - women who wear the malafa are repressed by a faith that requires them to hide themselves. For the women of Mauritania, where this book is set, the malafa is a beautiful expression of devotion to God and a practical protection from the sun and sand.
Really, really lovely.
Lalla sees the women of her community dressed in beautiful, colorful malafas that cover the head and body and can cover the face. Lalla sees these women as graceful and mysterious. Her mother, grandmother, older sister, etc. have such dignity and quiet ease. When Lalla realizes that wearing the malafa is about faith, she is deemed ready to wear one as she joins her mother in prayer.
I appreciated the author's note because she points out my assumption - women who wear the malafa are repressed by a faith that requires them to hide themselves. For the women of Mauritania, where this book is set, the malafa is a beautiful expression of devotion to God and a practical protection from the sun and sand.
Really, really lovely.
maureen_fox's review against another edition
3.0
Beautiful art work and story, but the author isn't from Mauritania. I'm always wary of "cultural" stories written by cultural outsiders, because they can easily become over simplified or condescending.
beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the positive portrayal of a cultural tradition that many Americans view as repressive. The author spent time in the West African country of Mauritania where their head and body coverings are relaxed and colorful, which prompted her to write this book.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
4.0
Lalla lives in the Sahara and longs to wear a malafa like her mother and older sister. She learns the many reasons for and meaning of the malafa.
This book crossed my radar as part of the Notable Books for a Global Society list assembled by Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association. As a result, it did what I had hoped it would do: it expanded my horizons and offered insight into a culture different from my own.
I recognize and am aware that there are hardy debates as to the malafa being oppressive and having a role in keeping women in a role of “less than.” But I also recognize there is a tremendous need to introduce American children to aspects of different cultures. I can see this book opening a door to curiosity and a desire to learn much more about the Islamic faith.
The illustrations were colorful and rich. The story was simple and sweet with an emphasis on the family that surrounds young Lalla as she yearns for her own malafa.
The book includes a glossary which, thankfully, helped me to pronounce malafa correctly: moo-LAH-fuh.
This book crossed my radar as part of the Notable Books for a Global Society list assembled by Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association. As a result, it did what I had hoped it would do: it expanded my horizons and offered insight into a culture different from my own.
I recognize and am aware that there are hardy debates as to the malafa being oppressive and having a role in keeping women in a role of “less than.” But I also recognize there is a tremendous need to introduce American children to aspects of different cultures. I can see this book opening a door to curiosity and a desire to learn much more about the Islamic faith.
The illustrations were colorful and rich. The story was simple and sweet with an emphasis on the family that surrounds young Lalla as she yearns for her own malafa.
The book includes a glossary which, thankfully, helped me to pronounce malafa correctly: moo-LAH-fuh.
amydieg's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful, simple. A lovely introduction to this specific tradition as well as the general theme that cultural choices have value and importance.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Review copy from Edelweiss
Deep in the Sahara is a beautiful book in more ways than one. The text is lyrical and almost sings. "Trees of red flowers bloom with heat. Acacia pods rattle, and fruit bats sleep." My fifteen year old picked it up and started reading silently, but then decided it needed to be read aloud. I loved that she read it to me. We agreed that it sounds like poetry even if it isn't labeled that way. The illustrations are fantastic too. The endpapers look like cloth and the rest of the book is filled with wonderful scenes created with collage. The colors are vibrant and the patterns are interesting, but not so busy that they are distracting. Each character in the story is unique and I loved seeing the individual women. The video below introduces the artist and shows a bit of her technique. (The video may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1QARoq73fs)
The story itself is also beautiful as we see a young girl yearning to be like the women around her with their lovely malafas. This is a coming of age story and it is a story of women. I loved that the entire book is showing how the women in the community support a young girl. Lalla is finding out about wearing the malafa from the many women in her life. In the author's note at the end, Cunnane explains that she lived in Mauritania for a time and the people there taught her about the Muslim faith and how they lived it. She wanted to write this book to share what she had learned especially since before she lived there, she had believed that the veil was repressive to women and after sharing in their lives, her opinion had changed.
Cunnane was writing as an outsider, but she has been traveling, teaching, and living among many cultures for years and writes carefully with much research and seems to have worked closely with the people she is representing. The book appears to be done very respectfully and in a spirit that celebrates the culture.
I am looking forward to sharing this with my students and will likely pair it with Time to Pray by Maha Addasi and/or The Swirling Hijab by Na'ima B. Robert, two books that also touch on the subject of Muslim prayer from a female perspective.
This review was originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-deep-in-sahara.html
Deep in the Sahara is a beautiful book in more ways than one. The text is lyrical and almost sings. "Trees of red flowers bloom with heat. Acacia pods rattle, and fruit bats sleep." My fifteen year old picked it up and started reading silently, but then decided it needed to be read aloud. I loved that she read it to me. We agreed that it sounds like poetry even if it isn't labeled that way. The illustrations are fantastic too. The endpapers look like cloth and the rest of the book is filled with wonderful scenes created with collage. The colors are vibrant and the patterns are interesting, but not so busy that they are distracting. Each character in the story is unique and I loved seeing the individual women. The video below introduces the artist and shows a bit of her technique. (The video may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1QARoq73fs)
The story itself is also beautiful as we see a young girl yearning to be like the women around her with their lovely malafas. This is a coming of age story and it is a story of women. I loved that the entire book is showing how the women in the community support a young girl. Lalla is finding out about wearing the malafa from the many women in her life. In the author's note at the end, Cunnane explains that she lived in Mauritania for a time and the people there taught her about the Muslim faith and how they lived it. She wanted to write this book to share what she had learned especially since before she lived there, she had believed that the veil was repressive to women and after sharing in their lives, her opinion had changed.
Cunnane was writing as an outsider, but she has been traveling, teaching, and living among many cultures for years and writes carefully with much research and seems to have worked closely with the people she is representing. The book appears to be done very respectfully and in a spirit that celebrates the culture.
I am looking forward to sharing this with my students and will likely pair it with Time to Pray by Maha Addasi and/or The Swirling Hijab by Na'ima B. Robert, two books that also touch on the subject of Muslim prayer from a female perspective.
This review was originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-deep-in-sahara.html
worldlibraries's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't been to Mauritania, so if the author and illustrator have chosen to accentuate the positive, that may be true and I can not critique that. She lived there two years. I have not. Given that this is the sole picture book available with Mauritania as a setting, I'm sure there is room in the market for someone who wants to write a book with a differing view.
This is a lovely book. It shares a universally-expressed wish young girls around the world often have, which is to wear clothes that express that 'I am now a grown-up.' In one country, it could be earrings, in another it could be jeans, in Mauritania it is a malafa.
Lalla's mother finally agrees with Lalla's request to wear a malafa when she surmises that Lalla is doing it for the right reasons: not to look more grown-up, but as an expression of faith.
Covering as an expression of faith is consistent with what covered women have told me in the years I have been around them in Turkey. So for what it is worth, that rings true to my experience.
Frankly, I think it is delightful to come across a book expressing the views of covered women, whether one agrees with them or not.
This is a lovely book. It shares a universally-expressed wish young girls around the world often have, which is to wear clothes that express that 'I am now a grown-up.' In one country, it could be earrings, in another it could be jeans, in Mauritania it is a malafa.
Lalla's mother finally agrees with Lalla's request to wear a malafa when she surmises that Lalla is doing it for the right reasons: not to look more grown-up, but as an expression of faith.
Covering as an expression of faith is consistent with what covered women have told me in the years I have been around them in Turkey. So for what it is worth, that rings true to my experience.
Frankly, I think it is delightful to come across a book expressing the views of covered women, whether one agrees with them or not.
katy_irene's review against another edition
4.0
More than anything, Lalla wants to wear a malafa. Set in Mauritania, West Africa.
Monarch 2016
Monarch 2016
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
It's fine for what it is. But it's not really aimed at me. It gives some context to a type of clothing at least in the Sahara at a point in time. And how it might seem to a young girl. The writing is okay, if a little repetitive, the art is fine. The message of faith doesn't resonate for me though.