Happy Days, All Ways: My Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali

On Musa's first day of Kindergarten, his teacher Ms. Gupta, said"Look around. You don't know them now, but these faces will be your closest friends this year. Musa looked around. They didn't look like his friends. They were total strangers.

Musa sat at his table with boys named Moises, Kevin, and Mo. None of them looked like they believed Mrs. Gupta either.

But she suggests that a good get-to-know-you activity is to find out what each other's favorite day of the year is. Musa perked up. His favorite day was Eid, he said. Surely it is everyone's favorite day! But nobody else seems to know what Eid is. But soon his mother brings everyone special food and decorations for Eid, and Musa explains that after a very early service at the mosque, everyone gets together for a big breakfast and people come all day to bring special food and presents, while the kids get to play all day.

Everyone could see why Eid was Musa's favorite day.

Later in the autumn, it is Mo's turn to share his favorite day, Shanah Tovah. He says he gets to light candles for Rosh Hashanah, and everyone eats yummy food to make the whole new year sweet. Mo and his mother bring apples dipped in honey and challah bread for the group to share.

Everyone could see why Rosh Hashanah was Mo's favorite day.

But in winter, it is Moises' turn to share the fun of Feliz Navidad. He tells about the posadas in which neighbors sing from house to house and share special foods and good wishes, and how for nine days everyone eats holiday foods and brings presents and sings special songs. And on Christmas Eve. even the littlest kids get to go to midnight church services and open their Christmas presents right after.

Everyone could see why Christmas was Moises' favorite.

Finally Kevin shared his favorite day--PI DAY. What?

Kevin explained that PI is a very special number used to solve math problems, especially with circles. He says Pi Day is a time to learn about science and famous scientists and mathematicians. And the best part, Kevin says, is picking fresh apples, in honor of Isaac Newton, who had an apple fall on his head that helped him figure out how gravity works. But Kevin's apples are used to make a special apple pi-day pie which he shares with everyone in the class.

Everyone could see why Pi Day was Kevin's favorite.

And at the end of the school year everyone looked around the room, where everyone was now a good friend with whom they had shared favorite celebrations, in A. E. Ali's Our Favorite Day of the Year (Simon and Schuster, 2020). 

With its message that the best special days are those that we share,  this story is also good to read before our annual holiday season. Illustrator Rahele Jamepour Bell's multimedia artwork glows with colors and patterns from everywhere that people celebrate, right down to the clothes that the circle of kids are wearing, with emphasis on the commonality of gatherings of friends and family and shared food and fun. The starred reviews really came out in the literary sky for this one: Kirkus Reviews says, "The dual focus on friendship and diversity makes this choice a winner,” and School Library Journal adds, “A comforting story that will help build bridges among children of different backgrounds and faiths.”