Description
It's Ramadan, a time to focus on good deeds and to fast, and Badir and his brother, Anis, are out for a walk one evening while they wait for their iftar meal.
In the park Badir sees a rat. A very, very large rat. He soon learns it’s actually a beaver, an animal that doesn't live in Tunisia, the country Badir and his family have emigrated from. It turns out that some of the neighbors who enjoy the park think this beaver is a bit of a pest, but Badir thinks it's wonderful and learns everything he can about the iconic Canadian animal. When a petition is started to remove the beaver, Badir, who knows firsthand how difficult it is to leave your home behind, rallies his classmates to save it. And with a little help from new friends, the kids learn that collaboration and faith can change the way we think about the world.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Author Bio
Shannon Stewart teaches in a francophone school in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she has had the opportunity to meet and learn from students all over the world. She is the author of Sea Crow (Orca, 2004), Alphabad: An Alphabet Book for Wicked Children! (Key Porter Books, 2005) and Captain Jake (Orca, 2008). She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.
Sabrina Gendron has a degree in visual arts from Cégep de Ste-Foy, as well as 2D/3D animation from Collège Bart. She loves to work on animation and visual arts projects and has illustrated a number of French-language books. Her art is colorful and lively and will make you want to dive into the worlds she has created. Sabrina lives in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec.
Prizes
- The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award Honor BookCommended 2020
- Chocolate Lily Book AwardsShort-listed 2020
- Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the YearCommended 2019
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selectionCommended 2019
Review Quotes
"Badir's boisterous personality and good nature make him a fun character to follow, and his family's observance of Ramadan adds an extra layer of interest to the story. This upbeat early chapter book is engagingly illustrated, filled with beaver facts, and delivers a positive message about protecting the environment."
— Booklist“This was a wonderful early chapter book and the characters solved a realistic problem in a natural way.”
— Youth Services Book ReviewBiographical note
Shannon Stewart teaches in a francophone school in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she has had the opportunity to meet and learn from students from all over the world. She is the author of Sea Crow (Orca, 2004), Alphabad: An Alphabet Book for Wicked Children! (Key Porter Books, 2005) and Captain Jake (Orca, 2008). She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.
