In digging through and pulling out board books for my nine month old to chew on, I realized I never reviewed this staple.  Published in 1994, this 16 page 4 x 5 book does a good job in rhyming verse discussing the universal bond of Islam for our littlest ones.

It starts out by stating that we are children form many different nations, and are different shapes and sizes, but that Allah swt created us all.

It reminds us that even though our words are different, and some of us are rich and others poor, we still enjoy God’s gifts and love our families, because in the end we all praise Allah, and are Muslims, Al-Hamdu Lillah!

The illustrations are clearly hand drawn and filled in with colored pencils, but they show diverse skin tones, a few different ethnic dresses, some in hijab and kufis, others not, and all smiling.

This book is basic, which makes it perfect for little ones at bedtime and even in small groups.  Younger children appreciate the simple message and rhyme scheme and it is the perfect size in their hands.

This book is probably bringing back memories for many of you, as it was one of the first books of its kind.  A board book, that is Islamic, cute and fun, for English readers. I remember in high school reading it to my Sunday school preschool class at the masjid, sharing it at story times at the masjid as an adult, and reading it to my own kids over the years.  The binding is still holding strong, and the words still remind me how blessed I am to be s Muslim, Al-Hamdu-Lillah!