(2) K-3 Sometimes the concept of home is complicated. The author presents her own story of emigrating from Kuwait as a child and making a new life in a new country. Marwan's Kuwait is a beautiful place "where one hundred butterflies are always in the sky," her ancestors (represented as a school of fish and two bulls with horns) watch over her, and "my aunties hold me close." However, because her father lacks Kuwaiti citizenship, the entire family is considered stateless, and "people say we don't belong here." They end up migrating from one desert to another--from Kuwait to New Mexico--and despite the sadness of missing family, customs, and a native language, Marwan finds new connections and forges a sense of belonging. New Mexico may not have one hundred butterflies, but it has "new people [who] show me I belong." Culturally symbolic watercolor and ink illustrations are detailed and playful and combine realism with fantasy, creating a delightful landscape of home that is rooted in the specificity of place and Marwan's surreal imagination. A lengthy author's note provides crucial context on the problem of statelessness in Kuwait. A nuanced representation of belonging and citizenship that will ring true for many whose sense of home has never been absolute.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(4) 4-6 Days That Shook the World series. From circumstances leading up to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait to the war in Iraq, this well-researched title presents a comprehensive account of the historic event. Despite the tight design, the accessible text, supported by color photos, maps, and text boxes, brings history to life and provides sound background to contemporary events. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Modern Middle East Nations and Their Strategic Place in the World series. These surveys, intended for report writers, try to be up to the minute in terms of political events but must be supplemented by current sources. They provide adequate background material on geography, history, people (including minority groups), and foreign relations. The photos are clear, but the stylized borders on some pages are distracting. There are seventeen other fall 2003 books in this series. Chronology, reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Modern Middle East Nations and Their Strategic Place in the World titles: Israel, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Yemen, and Iraq.]

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. These thorough overviews trenchantly examine each country's geography, history, and government. The accessible texts and appealing color photographs also focus on engaging topics such as festivals, foods, and leisure activities, giving readers a sense of everyday life in these varied cultures. Maps and a page of basic facts are included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta