REVIEW: IT’S WORLD RELIGION DAY!

​Today’s review is on a picture book about a friendship that develops between three girls of different faiths:

TITLE: PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM

AUTHORS: Callie Metler, Shirin Rahman, and Melissa Stoller

ILLUSTRATOR: Kate Talbot

PUBLISHER: Spork/2021

​OPENING LINES: 
 
On the first day of school, the wind rattled and leaves swirled.
Molly’s knees knocked as she buttered her breakfast toast.
Would the other kids like her?

This is a sweet story about three girls of different religious faiths who have something in common—they are nervous about the first day school. When the girls meet, they discover another commonality--they are each wearing necklaces (a cross, a prayer, a star of David) given to them by a member of their family to provide comfort (peach, salaam, shalom). As the school year progresses, the girls work together on a planting project, and as their plants blossom and grow, so does their friendship. I love how the book was co-written by three authors of different faiths (the same as the three main characters in the book), and Kate Talbot’s colorful but soothing illustrations complement the text beautifully. This is a book of first-day jitters, faith, friendship, acceptance, and peace. 
 
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