Just before the start of Eid, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, Nabeel the shoemaker buys gifts for his wife, mother, and daughter. He also buys a new pair of pants for himself, but they are four fingers too long. Nabeel’s wife is too busy with preparations for the celebration to shorten them, as are his mother and daughter. So Nabeel shortens them himself. Then his wife reconsiders—Nabeel is so thoughtful, it’s the least she can do. His mother comes to the same conclusion, and so does his daughter. On Eid , Nabeel puts on his pants to go to mosque with his family and gets a very big—or rather short!—surprise. Fawzia Gilani-Williams’s warm, funny retelling seamlessly incorporates Arabic words and information about the Muslim faith and Eid into the narrative, while Proiti Roy’s appealing, clean-lined India ink and gouache illustrations incorporate engaging details. (Ages 4–8)

While buying gifts for his family to wear to the mosque on Eid a shoemaker is persuaded to get new pants for himself, but the only pair available is too long and no one seems to have time to shorten them.