This 44 page picture book is delightfully illustrated and oh so relatable.  As we are still early in the month of Ramadan, my large family at least, is still working out routines, and this book was reflective of the joy, the struggle and the determination to take advantage of it all. Yes, in Ramadan we need to push our selves, to pray more, read more Qur’an, be more generous, more kind, but when you have kids of all ages, it can take some constant rebalancing so there is minimal waste, enough time at suhoor, adequate sleep to drive and function safely, encouraging the littles to fast just a little bit longer each day, setting some boundaries about going to Tarawih every night if they start to crash out and make it hard on the others.  At times the story is a little overboard, but the heart really does open the door to discussions in finding what works for your family. My 6 year old and I laughed, talked, and have found ourselves referencing this book a lot as we strive each day to increase our ibadah and hopefully at the end be able to say, we had a “just right Ramadan.”

The book starts with a family setting goals, making plans and checklists to get the most out of the blessed month.  They don’t always agree, and even the most well intentioned plans are often harder to actually put in to practice.  The Zareen family made treats for their neighbors, but enjoyed a few too many themselves, they want to wake up early for suhoor, but waking up too early makes them have to wait a long time for fajr and waking up late means they are rushing.  A little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears finding one extreme or the other unsuitable and settling for something in the middle, the family has to navigate how much food to prepare, how much to drink before tarawih, how late into the night to worship, and ultimately find what works for them.

The tone is light and sweet and doesn’t tell the reader what they should do.  It shows a family finding balance while striving to take advantage of the blessings of the month, and hopefully will encourage the readers to do the same.  I like that story is a different take on the month, that the kids are right there with their parents, there is no first fast or identity stresses, no searching for the moon, so for me and my kids the book stands out as being silly, relatable, and unique, a combination that is increasingly hard to find in holiday books, alhumdulillah.