Sprinkles and Smiles amirah kassem To everyone with a birthday Here’s to wishing you find your B-Buds and spread joy one sprinkle at a time Keep believing in the magic of birthdays and friendship a pocket of sprinkles can change the world
CHAPTER ONE
HAPPY NEW YEAR Amirah sang out Her parents looked up from their morning coffee Happy New Year princess Baba said You’re starting the new year off in a good mood Mama added Well you know what January first means Amirah replied Mama pretended to look confused The first day of the new year she teased Amirah No Amirah replied with a laugh Well yes But it means my birthday is in one week Just one more week to go until I turn eleven Oh of course Mama replied How could I have forgotten Amirah and Mama exchanged a big grin They both knew that she hadn’t forgotten not for a minute Birthdays were a very big deal in Amirah’s family and Amirah wouldn’t want it to be any other way All year long she looked forward to her birthday on January 8 Not just because of the presents or the delicious cake 2
though she definitely loved those parts of her birthday No the very best thing about her birthday was that it gave Amirah the chance to celebrate with all her favorite people She invited everybody in her small town in Mexico to her birthday party every year from her friends to her neighbors to the principal of her school Want some chocolate con leche Mama asked as she stood up and walked toward the kitchen Your brother will be awake soon and I know he’ll want some Yes please Amirah said The warm sweet drink was one of her favorites especially at breakfast breakfast time It was a traditional beverage in her country country but Amirah always liked to add an unusual ingredient a smattering of sprinkles from the container container she kept in her pocket No matter where she went or what she did Amirah made sure to carry some sprinkles with her She was a firm believer in the power of sprinkles and their ability to make magic happen just about anywhere 3
