Mustafa's Mithai

4.8

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Author(s)

Sana Rafi

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Nabi H. Ali

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

June 17, 2025

ISBN

978-0593526125

Buy This Book

A delightful picture book that celebrates the variety of sweets in South Asia and the small moments shared between loved ones in our everyday lives.

Mustafa loves happy occasions because he gets to eat mithai! He looks forward to biting into barfi, munching on halwa, or gobbling up a whole ladu. But now that his Baba's birthday has passed and his Nani and Nanu already came to visit, there are no more reasons to have fun and enjoy mithai.

When Ammi reminds him that mithai is sweetest when shared and something as simple as a day spent with loved ones can be a reason to celebrate, Mustafa decides to turn an ordinary day into a happy occasion. . .and of course eat mithai!

Mustafa invites all of his friends over for a playdate and introduces them to mithai by finding the perfect sweet for each person, including his ammi.

Editor review

1 review

Hungry for Mithai

October 17, 2025 (Updated: June 29, 2026)

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

5.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Mustafa’s Mithai makes me want to try some South Asian desserts! In Mustafa’s culture, celebrations are a time to eat mithai, which are many types of sweets from South Asia and Persian descent. When all the major celebrations have passed but not Mustafa’s sweet tooth or wish to feel festive, he decides to host a playdate and eat mithai. His friends have never had mithai, so he describes them and picks a dessert for each friend. I like that the idea of spending time with friends is a celebration, or that we can take mundane events and make them festive, as a good philosophy for enjoying life. The illustrations and descriptions worked beautifully to educate and make the reader hungry! Overall, this was a positive representation of another culture and educational experience. Now to find a local place to try some of these desserts.