Saffron Ice Cream
by Rashin Kheiriyeh; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Levine/Scholastic    40 pp.
5/18    978-1-338-15052-0    $17.99

Kheiriyeh delivers an entertaining, heartfelt story based on her own childhood memories of family outings to the beach. Young narrator Rashin compares the beach in her birthplace of Iran to the beach in her new home of Brooklyn, providing a glimpse of some of the Islamic “beach rules” in places in Iran. “Big, long curtains divided the sea into two sections — one side for men to swim in and the other side for women.” Young Rashin learned that breaking those rules (accidentally or not) can create chaos but can be funny and exciting, too. Kheiriyeh’s sensory text evokes the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes experienced along the journey from each home to the beach. Driving for five hours to the Caspian Sea or taking the Q train to Coney Island; listening to Persian music on the car radio or outdoor music in the city; passing through the forest or by “redbrick apartment buildings” — each is an adventure. For Rashin, the absence of two highlights of her beach fun in Iran — her best friend and saffron ice cream — is a stumbling block, but a new friend and a chocolate-crunch cone at Coney Island help. The textured oil and acrylic illustrations are bright and colorful, capturing the shades of nature and the vibrant and earthy colors of the city. The images of the Arabic/Farsi/English signs in Iran are a perfect context-setting touch.

From the July/August 2018 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards.