Sadiq and Hooyo's Drum


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Hi, I’m Sadiq! My family and I live in Minnesota, but my parents are from Somalia. Sometimes we speak Somali at Home.
 
 
 
 
 I’d like you to meet my family and learn some interesting facts and words from our culture.
 
 
 
 
 Facts about Somalia
 
 Somali people come from many different clans.
 Many Somalis are nomadic. That means they travel from place to place. They search for water, food, and land for their animals.
 Somalia is mostly desert. It doesn’t rain often there.
 The camel is an important animal to Somali people. Camels can survive a long time without food or water.
 Around ninety-nine percent of all Somalis are Muslim.
 
 Somali Terms
 
 ayeeyo (ah-YEH-yoh) —
 grandmother
 baba (BAH-baah) —
 a common word for father
 bariis (buh-REESS) —
 rice
 durbaan (durr-BAHN) —
 drum
 hilib (HIH-lib) —
 meat
 hooyo (HOY-yoh) —
 mother
 qalbi (KUHL-bee) —
 my heart
 vuvuzela (voo-voo-ZELL-ah) —
 a plastic horn
 wiilkeyga (wil-KAY-gaah) —
 my son
 
 
 
 CHAPTER 1 Many Choices
 Sadiq heard soft low tones in a pretty melody coming from his sister’s room. Then he heard a loud squeak.
 “Hi Aliya!” he said, poking his head into his sister’s room. She was practicing her clarinet. “Can I come in?”
 “Sure! Come on in,” replied Aliya. “You can be my audience!” She shuffled through her music.
 “I wish I was in band,” said Sadiq with a sigh. “It looks like so much fun. Too bad I can’t join until fifth grade.”
 “Fifth grade will be here before you know it!” said Aliya, trying to cheer up her brother.
 “I guess you’re right,” said Sadiq, smiling. “Only two years to go.”
 “You know what you could do?” asked Aliya. “You could start researching which instrument you’d like to play. That way you’ll be ready when the time comes.”
 “Great idea, Aliya!” said Sadiq. Excitement began to replace his disappointment. “There are so many choices. I wonder what I should pick.”
 
 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER 2 New Students
 Sadiq, Manny, and Zaza were walking to school the next morning.
 “Have you guys thought about band?” asked Sadiq.
 “Like rock bands? Or the school band?” asked Zaza.
 “School band,” Sadiq said. “I’m planning to join. But I don’t want to wait until fifth grade. I want to learn an instrument now.”
 “You’d be good at that, Sadiq!” said Manny.
 “What instrument do you want to play?” asked Zaza.
 “I think I want to play drums. But I haven’t decided for sure, yet.”
 “Well now I want to join band too,” said Zaza, grinning.
 “It would be so fun to do together!” said Sadiq.
 “My baby sister bangs on a pot at home. Maybe she can give you drum lessons!” Zaza joked.
 
 When the boys got to class, they saw two new students and a woman standing next to Ms. Battersby.
 “I wonder who they are?” asked Zaza.
 “I am sure we’ll find out,” said Sadiq.
 “Take your seats, children,” said Ms.