The Gift of Eid

by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Aaliya Jaleel (illustrator)

A retelling of the Gift of the Magi, set against the backdrop of the Great Mosque of Damascus.

With Baba gone, Yasmine doesn’t have enough money to buy Mama’s Eid gift and can’t think of anything she wants for herself when Mama asks. While Mama’s haggling with the baker, she gets an idea. When she gets lost in the Souq, Yasmine realizes that true Eid joy comes from being together.

Set in the famous Souk Al-Hamidiyah and the Great Mosque of Damascus, this heartfelt story offers a Muslim background to one of the best-loved stories of all time.

Genres: Picture Books, Muslims, Family, Death, Holiday, Islam, Grief

40 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2025

About the author

Shifa Saltagi Safadi was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.
As a mom to four Arab American children and a former English teacher to Middle School students, (and an author!) she now spends her time helping kids develop a love of reading and writing too.

You can learn more about her books on her website shifasafadi.com

Reviews

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the years, as I've waded through more Muslim picture books than I care to count, I've come to recognize that there are a few secret ingredients to good writing in kidlit: there must be talent and craft, but also, perhaps most importantly, heart.

And this stunning book, "The Gift of Eid" by @shifasaltagisafadi and illustrated by the incredibly talented @aaliyamj, is one of those books with all 3 ingredients.

This retelling of the famous short story "The Gift of the Magi" is so much more than that: it is an authentically Syrian Muslim story of love, family, and Eid.

Yasmine and her mother just have each other, after her father passed away, and while it's a struggle to remain afloat, nothing can take away the desire to give each other gifts for Eid. With gorgeous illustrations of the Grand Masjid of Damascus and Souq Al-Hamidiyeh, this story is a visual delight as well as an emotional one.

Literally the only detracting factor is how tiny the text is 😭

[h i n d · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who's always appreciated vibes or character driven books over plot driven stories, I judge picture books very generously, because I almost always enjoy them. This month I read multiple back to back and they all had stunning art and good representation, but The Gift of Eid really stood out.



As I was reading all I could think of was that Shifa is truly a talented writer. She wasn't spoon feeding you the information, I don't know how else to explain it. Maybe I just hadn't read that many picture books in a row before to notice how much the writing style can differ.



At the end of the day, any story that celebrates Middle Eastern and Muslim culture will have a special place in my heart. And the book was even stronger in impact because I wasn't familiar with the original story that it was based on.

Overall, really good writing, heartfelt story, stunning illustrations and great representation.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a digital arc via Netgalley. All opinions are my own

[Maleeha Siddiqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt story, stunning illustrations, and universal themes. The Gift of Eid is my favorite Eid picture book to date. If there is one book that captures the very essence of what Eid is all about, it is this one.

[Kirin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retelling? Yes
Own voice? Yes
Poignant powerful writing? Yes
Preordered already? Absolutely
With heartfelt words and large two-page spread illustrations, this beautiful book shares a mother and daughter finding the perfect Eid gift for one another while bringing the reader into the Souq Al-Hamidiyeh, before sending them off to Masjid Al-Umawi for a warm hug.  A retelling of the classic, A Gift of the Magi, the story poignantly presents threads of love, gifts, loss, and Eid to fill the reader with joy, peace, and gratitude.  I'm admittedly very bias, as a close friend of the author, but this beautiful book doesn't need lip service or marketing, it will appeal to all readers in all settings, and be cherished and asked for, over and over again, all throughout the year. Alhumdulillah.

The book starts with Yasmine and her mama entering the souq through the archway, and Yasmine remembering her father and her imagining the circles in the ceiling to be twinkling stars.  He is no longer with them, the magic is gone and money is tight now, but with liras jingling in her pocket, Yasmine is determined to find an Eid gift for her mother that will make her smile.

Yasmine looks around the shops as her mother counts out liras to buy za'atar, and tries to find something cheaper than sfeeha at the bakery.  She finally knows what to get her mother, but it is more lira than she has.  With determination and selflessness she makes a decision to get her mama the perfect gift.

The process separates the two, and when they reunite at the masjid for maghrib salat, it isn't the gifts themselves, but rather what they mean, that make the laughter, tears, and love overflow.

I love the emotional depth the book conveys so deftly, never explaining or pulling the reader out of the story, thus allowing the connection to linger long after the book is closed, a rare treat in a picture book.

[Meilin · Rating 4 out of 5]

heartwarming to have joy + love in troubling times !

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so beautiful! Totally squeezed my heart. It's a twist on "The Gift of the Magi" where a young girl and her mother try to find one another gifts that will warm their grieving hearts (husband/father has passed away--we don't learn why, but the story takes place in Syria and the author mentions in her note how the story is by a Syrian-born author says the story is inspired by family who still live there and have suffered many losses due to war). The illustrations are warm and lovely, evoking a sense of place and a sense of love. The story is set in the famous Souq Al-Hamidiyeh and The Great Mosque of Damascus; you can feel that it's peopled with modern characters yet there is a sense of timelessness in it, as well. I appreciate that, while there are certainly undertones of grief, there is a sense of peace and hopefulness about it, as well, kindled by love of faith and family. Don't miss the Author's Note. I appreciate that she pays respect to O. Henry and her original inspiration (she says that one of her earliest memories was flipping through her mother's GED English books and that "The Gift of the Magi" stayed with her all these years) and she also clarifies a few points about her story (for example, that she used the monetary amounts from her childhood vs. modern values for the Syrian pound (lira) and that our young protagonist being able to wander independently in public spaces like the souq is not something that you would really see happening for most children in Syria). This is a really beautiful and touching story and I highly recommend it.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yasmine and her mother are in the Souq Al-Hamidiyeh (an enormous market/mall). Yasmine misses her Baba (father) terribly, but with their father gone, money is tight. Yasmine won't be able to get an Eid gift for her mother.
When she realizes what she can get her mother, she makes a powerful sacrifice and goes to the Mosque (The Great Mosque of Damascus) to give it to her, only to learn that her mother has made her own sacrifice to gift her something special as well.

This beautiful retelling of Gift of the Magi, set in Syria, gave me a lot of feels. Between Yasmine's coping, everybody who may be facing money troubles, the heartfelt and selfless message of Safadi's origin basis of O. Henry's Gift of the Magi, as well as Safadi's own story included in the back, plus Aaliya Jaleel's vibrant and emotionally charged illustrations make this a very perfect picture book.

While I was familiar and had read Gift of the Magi a very long time ago, this book was a needed reminder of what is really important. It also shared a perspective and culture that I am very unfamiliar with. I knew Eid marked the end of Ramadan, but I did some additional research after checking out Safadi's book and that has helped me understand a little more. However, regardless of your faith, recognition of Ramadan and Eid or not, there is something that everyone can and should gain from Safadi's book: love.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the story "The Gift of the Magi" but set within a souq (market) at the great mosque in Damascus.
Yasmine really wants to buy a gift for her Mama for Eid but money has been tight ever since her Baba has passed. Mama and Yasmine both ask each other what they want as they wander through the souq and both say they don't want anything, however they both see something that they know the other person would really treasure - but they don't have any money to buy it with. What will they do to buy the precious gift for Eid?
As a white woman, it is hard for me for me to know for sure but this feels like a very authentic representation of culture. It is an own voices book. She has an author's note at the end where she speaks about her inspiration and how Yasmine's experiences echo those of her family who live in Syria.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

To fully appreciate this story, readers need a to know more about Syrian culture and “The Gift of the Magi” tale than is presented in the text and the Author’s Note. As a result, too much seems to get lost in translation. Yes, a girl wandering around the souq might be a common occurrence in Syria, but it would be considered negligent if she meandered around a mall in the United States. And if family is so important, why buy the gifts for each other at all, given how poor they are after Baba’s death? Could they have had a special meal in his honor after prayers at the mosque? The tiny typeface is very hard to read as well, almost as if it’s an afterthought. Colorful illustrations evoke the feel of Damascus, but the Disney-like characters make them seem like transplants in a foreign world.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Gift of the Magi is one of the best loved stories of all time, and this Muslim retelling of it, set in Damascus, does justice to it. The lovely, richly detailed Procreate artwork captures the flavor of the city and the emotions of the characters. As Yasmine and her mother shop, she can't help missing her father. When her mother peruses some jewelry boxes similar to those her father loved, she determines to buy one for Eid for her mother. Not having enough money, she sells her chain. When she finds her mother again, her mother has a gift for Yasmine--a heart charm for Yasmine's chain, which she no longer has, and for which she sold her bracelet. While the gifts matter, what really matters is the love and self-sacrifice each family member was willing to give.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book story of love, loss, and healing. With her father gone, Yasmine shops with her mother in Damascus to celebrate Eid, the conclusion of Ramadan. More than any present, Yasmine wants to hear her mother laugh and not worry again. So she sells her own necklace to afford a beautiful jewelry case for her mother's bracelets. Because this is a Gift of the Magi retelling, you can guess what happens next. So lovely that it made me tear up. Aaliya Jaleel's gentle illustrations and soft color palette complement Shifa Saltagi Safadi's words perfectly. An author's note connects the story to Safadi's childhood and the war in Syria. Highly recommend. ARC read

[Robert Ellington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always like to read descriptions of books found on the inside flap of the cover, when available. In this book, I read that this book "is a Muslim reimagining of one of the best-loved stories of all time". So naturally I couldn't wait to read it! No spoiler alerts here! What a wonderful tale and beautifully illustrated! Thank you Shifa Saltagi Safadi and Aaliyah Jaleel!

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

This is a retelling of The Gift of the Magi. I liked the Muslim representation and the setting of Syria. This books seems to be more of a book aiming to be a mirror than a book aiming to be a window. You need to know about the culture already to fully appreciate the story. I wish the text was a bit bigger. I found it somewhat hard to read.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet story. Taking inspiration from the famous short story, "The Gift of the Magi," it becomes a story about a mom and daughter in Damascus navigating grief and finding love and strength together.

[Sobia A Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lovely story about Eid and family, based off the story of the Gift of the Magi. The illustrations are spot on, full of detail and color. The author leaves a note at the end on her inspiration for this story.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adaptation of the gift of the magi is truly lovely and remarkably well done. The illustrations…likewise, gorgeous.

[Ossy Firstan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hangat sekali

[Lolz]

Very cool to see illustrations of Souq Al-Hamidiyeh and Masjid Al-Umawi in Damascus

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. Author's note explains the source... which, if you haven't read, you should now, as it's so utterly charming and also historically interesting. One of my very favorites.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gift of the Magi updated for Eid

[Josh Peatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very touching!

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear publisher this book is lovely but please consider enlarging the text.