Book Review: Naming Ceremony

Book: Naming Ceremony

Author: Seina Wedlick.

Overview: This book tells the story of Amira, a new big sister, preparing for her baby sister’s naming ceremony.

Morals or lessons: being a big sister can mean figuring out new things, but it’s all about love.
Amira has to decide on a name to give her baby sister at the naming ceremony. But how should she choose?

Age range: toddlers and preschoolers.

Format: picture book.

Visual/reading ease: medium.
This book requires reading skills, and I think it’s best read aloud by a grownup or older kid.
Visually, it is SO bright and happy!

Biggest pro: the calm focus on love.
The “conflict” in this book is very peaceful: Amira tries to decide on a name by asking her loved ones what names they have chosen for her little sister. The calm plotline means that everything, even Amira’s concerns, come clearly from love for the new little one.
(A possible second biggest pro: if, like me, you weren’t familiar with the tradition of a naming ceremony, you’ll get to learn about a really beautiful way that many families in or from West Africa welcome a new baby to their community!)

Biggest con: reading level/pattern.  
This book does require a fairly skilled reader, and it’s not repetitive (meaning it’s hard to memorize). The prose is complicated and doesn’t follow a pattern; so even though my toddler loved the pictures, she didn’t participate much in reading the book. Older kids who can help read some words or can playact some of the characters might enjoy it more, but they may also then expect more conflict in the story.

Fun factor: medium.
The characters in this book bring very different personalities in a very short space, and that’s where the fun comes in!

How much heart: DEFINITE HEART.
This whole book is just about how much so many people love the new baby. It makes me happy every time I read it.

Re-readability: fair.
Different parts of this story draw attention each time you read it. This was a library loan for us, and while we aren’t planning to buy it, we will very likely check it out again in the near future. The sweet older sister message, the gorgeous illustrations, and the beautiful reflection of a tradition make this book wonderful. But, the lacks of predictable pattern in prose and of toddler participation in reading puts a damper on multiple re-reads.