A Pixar Animation Studios Artist Showcase book which beautifully illustrates the bond of a mother and daughter. Set in Malaysia, this diverse book shows a rich culture that readers will learn about, as well as relate to in 48 large 9 x 11 pages.
The simple text shows Little Aleeya watching her dear mother, Mommy sayang, pray five times a day, them doing chores together, cooking side by side, eating with friends and family, and smiling through it all. Little Aleeya even dreams of her and her mother at night among the hibiscus flowers.
Mommy Sayang, however, gets ill and Aleeya waits and waits for her to get better. Day after day Aleeya grows sadder and sadder until one day she gets an idea of how she can help her mother.
The change of perspective from Aleeya needing her mom, to her mom needing Aleeya is sweet and empowering. The book doesn’t detail what makes her mom sick or why up until Aleeya’s idea takes form is she not able to hang out in her mother’s room with her.
Listeners as little as 4 or 5 will enjoy the story and the tone provided by the minimal text and illustration style, older independent readers up to 2nd grade or so will learn new vocabulary and get a peek at a possibly new culture.
I like that the mom wears hijab when they are out and about doing chores or people are over, but that when she is home in her bed she is not covered. The illustrations are fabulous and gentle, as is the message.
There is a small glossary of four words on the dedication and copyright page and there is a bit about the author, her inspiration, and what movies she has worked on at Pixar at the end.
Three hundred and forty pages written in verse that beautifully consume you and leave you emotionally changed and vulnerable and humbled all at once. The book claims it is for middle grades, but I think middle school will appreciate it more, and I sincerely hope everyone of all ages will take a couple of hours to fall under the spell that is woven to tell a story of a refugee leaving home and starting anew in America.
SYNOPSIS:
Jude is a 12 year old girl living on the beach in Syria, watching American movies with her friends and hanging out at her dad’s store. With an older brother and a little sister on the way, life as told from her own perspective is pretty good. Until it is not. Until the crimes they only hear about happening in Aleppo and Damascus start to hit closer to home. Until her brother starts sneaking out to meetings with other youth hoping to change the politics of their country. Until a raid almost catches Jude and her brother and her parent’s decide it is time for Jude and her mother to journey to America, for a little while, to visit her mom’s brother and deliver the baby.
America is not like it is in the 90’s movies that Jude loves: Pretty Woman, Legally Blond, Miss Congeniality. Her American aunt and her Uncle that seems to have forgotten his Syrian upbringing, are gracious and welcoming and their daughter, Sarah, who is less than a year older than Jude waxes and wanes in her approach to her cousin. Adjusting to school, life without baba and her brother, and all the other adaptations that moving to a new country entail are brought to life through Jude’s eyes and understanding of the world around her. As she comes of age and decides to wear hijab, as Islamaphobia shakes her sense of justice, and her little sister is born, the reader sees her grow and change and mature and find themselves hoping that she will soar.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I love that the style of the story telling somehow gives life to so much. With verse some things are highlighted in detail and other things skimmed over and yet at the end, not only do you feel like you understand Jude, but a lot of the side characters as well, which caught me off guard. Truly the writing is strong and deliberate. A lot of the politics and war crimes occurring in Syria are not detailed, and I have to assume that is because the point of view is a 12 year old girl that is blissfully in her own world. I imagine this is also why the target audience is listed as 8-12 year olds, because it simplifies a truly horrific situation. Also because despite moments of raw vulnerability, the book stays pretty optimistic and hopeful.
I like that the characters are Muslim, and that the mom scolds her brother for not going to the mosque. The book does talk about Jude’s period starting and thus Jude starting to wear hijab, which is one of the reasons I feel like early middle school might be a bit more appropriate age group. There isn’t too much talk about faith and Islamic beliefs, but a few tidbits are sprinkled in, prayer, not eating pork, modesty. The book is not gender exclusive, but I think girls will gravitate much more to Jude’s perspective, experiences and voice.
The only thing I found a bit off is that the book takes place in modern time, present day, yet none of them have cell phones or social media. Jude Skypes her dad, yet writes letters to her friend back in Syria and is distraught when they don’t have a forwarding address to send them to after her friend also leaves home. It seems that social media, email, a cell phone number, something would be available for them to all keep in touch.
FLAGS:
There is mention of Jude and her friends having to sneak in to see Pretty Woman because Julia Roberts is a prostitute, and mention of blood between one’s legs and periods starting. The book otherwise is pretty clean. It hints at her kind of crushing on a boy that is in the play with her, but nothing more than friendship is explored. Violence mentioned is minimal and language is clean even when dealing with hate crimes in America.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
There is a good chance that next year the students joining the middle school book club will be all girls, so if that is the case and the school counselor feels all the girls can handle the puberty aspects mentioned I would totally do this book. The book reads very quick and might be a good way to get new kid to give a book club a try as well.
This incredibly important 37 page picture book highlighting a little boys heritage will speak to children who see themselves in his quest to answer what he is, as well as (hopefully) inspire them to search out their own family ancestry and unique make up.
The book is not a traditional story book, in fact there isn’t much of a storyline, but the concepts presented show how beautiful and amazing multi-cultural and multi-ethnic families can be. A lot of cultural information is conveyed and celebrated about Samoan and Pacific Island traditions as well as Islamic ones.
There is an aqiqa at the time of his birth as well as a Samoan party with a Hawaiian band. Some members of his family cover, while other’s don’t. He remarks how he has extra grandparents which equal extra blessings, and how he has a half brother because they have different dads.
In addition to geography, there is also a STEM component as six-year-old Toa Idris learns he is a quarter this and half that through understanding fractions as visualized by slices of a pizza. At one point Idris remarks that, “I can’t keep all those people and places straight,” and after reading the book half a dozen times, I honestly couldn’t either. But, I think that is ok. The point of the book is that being diverse is amazing, and having people love you is important, and culture and tradition and faith all make you richer.
The text on each page is presented in a fun font, as are the pictures. Really there is just one picture that makes Idris look angry and it is used in the story and the title page, which is unfortunate, I think it is supposed to have him look pensive, but it seems a bit off to me, where all the other pictures ooze with warmth and richness.
I honestly don’t know what age group would benefit the most from the book. Younger kids that may have been asked what their culture is will be empowered by having it reinforced that they are made just how Allah swt planned them to be, older readers will be able to create their own pizza slices, so to speak, and understand their own pieces, but I feel like both groups might need some coaching from an adult. There are family trees at the beginning that almost become reference pages while reading the story and trying to keep everyone straight, that make the book almost interactive. Muslim and non Muslim reader alike would learn about new cultures, and benefit from the “Extras” at the end. Honestly, overall there is just a lot of information tossed around in the book, which isn’t a bad thing, it just might make it a bit more hit or miss if it will work for your child.
This 92 page early chapter book is a great linear story for 1st through 3rd graders. The size, font, spacing, illustrations, chapter length, and content make it a fun read that incorporates diversity, environmental action, teamwork, information about beavers and acceptance all through the efforts of young Badir, a recent immigrant from Tunisia during the blessed month of Ramadan.
SYNOPSIS:
Badir is new to Canada and while he misses Tunisia, he is joyful and upbeat as we meet his older brother Anis, young twin siblings and classmates. Out one night before iftar, he sees what he thinks is a giant rat swimming in a lake, but no one believes him. When he sees it a second time, a lady at the park explains to him that it is a beaver, not a rat, and pulls out a Canadian coin to show him there is a connection between beavers and Canada. With new knowledge about the difference between a lake and a pond, a rat and a beaver, Badir is fascinated with how beavers build homes, mate for life, and benefit the environment. He even likens the beaver eating at sunset to his families own Ramadan schedule.
But all is not well for the beaver, as a petition is being circulated to relocate the rodent and save the trees in the park from his sharp teeth. With new friends, a supportive teacher and classmates, Badir is determined to prevent the beaver from having to leave his home as Badir and his family had to do.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I love that this book is subtle in highlighting the welcoming of immigrants into a community, about having the main character be Muslim and it being Ramadan, and showing that diverse people can come together for a bigger cause and even become friends. The main story line is naturally to save the beaver and the trees in the park, so the information and facts about beavers is appreciated and well presented. I think most everyone of every age will learn something new about the common rodent. But, by the main character being genuinely like-able and infectious, the reader will also realize that any negative stereotypes about Muslims or immigrants really aren’t a factor. Badir’s family is really nice, the parents prepare food together, they feed their kids’ friends, and invite them over. The author does a good job at accurately making them seem like any other family.
There isn’t much stress on Badir being Muslim or what that means outside of it being Ramadan, praying, and going to the mosque as a family at night. The illustrations show the mom in hijab. The book tells a tiny bit about Tunisia, but not why they left, and definitely makes the foods they eat sound delicious. Overall, it really does a good job of keeping the book about the beaver and finding a solution.
The book is for both non Muslims and Muslims and seems to be written by a non Muslim, and while set in Ramadan it is definitely not limited to being a “Ramadan story.” There are small pictures on many pages and a full page picture in each of the 12 chapters.
FLAGS:
None
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I think this book should be in classrooms and school libraries. It really is well written, informative, and fun. I don’t do a story time for the target audience of this book, but I think it would be a candidate for my “Lunch Bunch” meetings, when I read aloud to 4th and 5th graders once a week while they eat lunch. Even if it is slightly below a 5th grade level, I think even older kids who pick it up and read it, or listen to it being read, will find it interesting, entertaining, and worth their time.
Zanib Mian has really set the standard for quality affordable children’s Islamic books title after title. So, I really was on pins and needles waiting for these Musa & Friends board books, and then I got one (thank you Crescent Moon Store) and part of me is really disappointed, and part of me is wondering what I’m missing.
They are at cheapest $8 a book, and there are 8 pages. Yes, the binding and page thickness is awesome, and the 5.5 square size is adorable in a toddler’s hands, but I guess I wanted more. More pages, more feeling or tone of Ramadan, a little more substance.
The illustrations are super fun and Zanib Mian has a history of writing toddler and preschool appropriate books, so needless to say I was surprised that I didn’t love this book. Granted I’ve only seen the Ramadan book, and maybe the others in the series are much more satisfying, or maybe when you have all four together, they round each other out, which I’m really hoping is the case.
The text amount per page is great for littles, but the content is rather random in my opinion. They little diverse family and their penguin love Ramadan, they go to the masjid for taraweeh, they wake up for suhoor, they read Quran, they give money to the poor, they eat too much iftar and they love eid.
The book is meant for Muslim children as no details are given about what iftar or suhoor mean or that Ramadan involves fasting. The illustrations won’t help much either in explaining the terms or even teaching concepts as the page on giving to charity has Musa and Penguin putting money in a jar, Musa’s dad is reading Quran, even though the text says, “Well done, Musa,” and even the penguin says “Gobble, gobble, gobble,” when eating(?).
The books are cute and if you aren’t overly critical and you receive the book as a gift you will probably be very happy. I just expected more and after the smallness of size of “A Young Muslim’s Mindful Book of Wellbeing” combined with the shortness of these books, I won’t just blindly order a bunch of Muslim Children’s Books without considering if they are worth it anymore, which makes me sad.
This 96 page “picture book” written on an AR 8.4 is not for everyone, but for those interested in architecture or structural engineering, or 16th Century Ottoman culture, or even Turkey in general, this book is fascinating, beautiful and most of all informative. It first caught my attention when I was planning a story time to remind children of how they ought to behave in a mosque, needless to say it didn’t fit the occasion, but this fictionalized account of how a typical Ottoman mosque would have been built and why was perfect for my 7th grade daughter who loves legos and design and has been to Turkey.
SYNOPSIS:
The story starts with a wealthy Turk realizing his own mortality and wanting to follow his Islamic faith in giving back his wealth and providing for his community before he passes. Thus he commissions the building of a mosque, madrese (religious school and library), an imaret (a soup kitchen for preparation and serving of food), hamam (public bath) and a cesme (a public fresh drinking water fountain).
From there the book details how the foundation to the minarets are designed, crafted, erected and used. Explaining how domes are supported to how stones are laid and stained glass windows constructed, so many details are illuminated and kept simple at the same time.
Aside from the physical construction of the buildings, it really is incredibly remarkable and gives insights into how Islam shaped cultures, and similarly how Mosques became integral parts of societies.
WHY I LIKE IT:
The book is fact and historically based with a fictionalized story layered on top to move the information along. The pictures are detailed and informative with labels and descriptions that make the technical jargon of the text visually understood.
If one has ever been to the Blue Mosque, even in its fiction, the book will explain the function and thought process behind the gardens and porticos and women’s spaces in a very satisfying manner.
I love that it mentions how even Jews and Christians contributed to building of such Mosques and how the all facets of the community took pride in the completed works. I’m not sure why the author specified the blood of a ram being spread out, as it isn’t Islamic culture, but with my limited knowledge of 16th century Ottoman practices, I didn’t dwell on it too much.
FLAGS:
Clean.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I feel like this book would be great in any middle school STEM class to just have to look at and thumb through, Muslim or not. The author has written numerous books about different structures (Cathedral, Castle, City) and breaks down how they were constructed and why. A great resource for anyone willing to ponder and marvel at the structures around them and take their understanding to the next level.
There is a Glossary at the end, and I really enjoyed the last paragraph of the Preface at the beginning:
This adorably illustrated 40 page rhyming book about jannah explores just how generous and amazing the ultimate goal of obtaining paradise can be, as seen from a child’s perspective. Preschool and up will enjoy the illustrations and cadence the book tries to adhere to, as well as the silly manifestations of everything and anything the characters in the book can imagine.
According to the publisher, Prolance, there are two versions of the book: “In the Islamic edition, we’ve included verbiage that relates to the Muslim audiences, added a fun Quran search activity & a song!” Additionally, the word Allah is written in Arabic and there is an ayat from the Quran at the beginning of the book.
There isn’t really a story it is more a glorified list of all the things you could have (inshaAllah) in paradise. The set-up is a mom discussing it with her two small children at bedtime. The book doesn’t give too much information about what you have to do to get to heaven aside from mentioning being patient and being believers.
The book surprisingly does a pretty good job of not getting too silly or carried away with it self. It manages to include that there will be rivers made of milk and honey, that there are levels of jannah, that there will be castles and we will know which is ours, and that the greatest gift will be to see Allah swt.
Naturally, it seems with every kids book about heaven, the majority anyway, focus a ton on food, this one does branch out a bit from the dreams of ice cream mountains and curly fries for hair, to flowers growing shoes and dinosaurs for pets, but not a whole lot.
The book is fun, but with most Prolance books it seems, the price is a bit steep. The book is hardback, the inside pages are not glossy, but have a decent weight and feel to them. The 8.5 x 8.5 pages make it work better for bedtime than a large group as the illustrations are the best part of the book and they are pretty detailed and small in places.
Now that there is legitimately a genre of YA Islamic Romance out there told in Own Voice, the expectations are high that a book is compelling, realistic, and unique somehow. While the author’s first book, Saints and Misfitswas pretty ground breaking, this 342 page was a great read, but not nearly as remarkable or memorable. Granted it is not fair to compare the two books, and each day I do age out of the target demographic, but while the story reads authentic and true, albeit a bit serendipitous, it doesn’t have the teeth or grit I was kind of hoping for, and with a mother who suffers from multiple sclerosis my emotions were pretty invested.
SYNOPSIS:
Told from both Adam and Zayneb’s perspectives by way of their individual “Oddities and Marvels” journals, our two characters are presented by a narrator who keeps their story on track and interjects when their versions of an event differ.
Zayneb is a high schooler and activist who has recently been expelled for threatening a teacher who consistently lets his Islamaphobic beliefs take over the days lessons. In an environment filled with micro aggressions against Muslims, Zeynab’s parents are at a loss at how to keep their daughter from making waves, and thus allow her to leave her Indiana home a week before spring break to visit her aunt in Doha, Qatar.
Adam is at University in London where he has recently been diagnosed with MS and as a result has stopped going to classes, and is literally “making” the most of the time he has by making things. As the term ends and he officially withdraws from school, he heads home to Doha to tell his dad and sister that he has the same disease that took his mother’s life years early.
The two characters meet at the airport briefly and then again on the plane and then at Adam’s house and the needless to say their accidental meetings allow for friendship to grow, attraction to be built upon and a relationship to develop. Both characters have their own lives and own obstacles and own maturity that needs to occur in order for a happy ending to take place, and thus the book keeps you interested, invested and cheering them on.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I love the dynamic of how the book and characters are set up. Both are practicing Muslims, both characters don’t cross a line, both characters have diverse mixed cultural backgrounds, and one is a convert and the other the daughter of a convert. She is fiery and impulsive and emotional, he is pragmatic and calm and quiet. While they have some background in common, their life experiences are rather different and it is very much a story about opposites attracting.
I’ve been waiting for this book to come out, and so I knew my expectations would be too high. That being said the book warns it is a love story and in some ways, that was what I kind of felt was lacking. There was the physical attraction that was mentioned fairly often, but the deep connection of ideas or growing seemed a bit lacking.
I really liked Adam, and his internal stresses and struggles and coming to grips with his disease seemed pretty developed. Somehow though, and I’m probably in the minority, I didn’t love Zayneb. She is impulsive and definitely learned and grew from the start of the book to the end, but I didn’t love her nuances with dealing with the Emmas and her friends back home and unraveling her teacher, it felt kind of forced and I can’t articulate why. I’m glad she matured and she got answers about her grandmother, but maybe I should have felt so much in common with her and when I didn’t, I felt a little irritated. Clearly I get too invested in fictional characters, I’ll admit that.
I like that Islam is presented in a non defensive way. The parents aren’t evil, there is no rebelling, even the awful teacher spawns backlash and allies to Zayneb and her cause. There is no apologizing or overly explaining if the characters are pushing boundaries established by Islam or if they are establishing their own boundaries based on their understanding of Islam. I like this, because it shows that Muslims are not a monolith, we are not one way good or bad. Zayneb covers and prays and has friends that are boys and her family is kept in the loop of what she does, which alone breaks so many of the predominate stereotypes about Muslims. Adam himself converted at age nine and plays the guitar and has friends that are girls, and is close to his sister, and likes dogs. A side character is noted to be incredibly religious, but doesn’t cover. The story takes place in an Islamic majority country, but attitudes at the swimming pool don’t allow Zayneb to dress modestly while she swims.
Overall, the book is a delightful read that manages to keep the religious integrity in the characters and show their personalities as they come of age. It may not be memorable years after reading, but what you do remember will be positive, and while you are reading it, you will have a hard time putting it down.
FLAGS:
There is angsty romance, and talk of sex. The two main characters keep it pretty clean, but the side characters joke about hooking up, being horny, and sneaking off to hotel rooms. The non Muslim aunt has a secret alcohol and cigarette stash that she gets called out on, but nothing more is mentioned about it. I think 9th or 10th grade and up will be perfectly ok to read.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
There is a lot to unpack in this book and I think if one just listens, teens will naturally add their own opinions and perspectives on EVERYTHING the characters experience, feel, question, and cope with. The book just came out, but I would imagine that over time discussion questions will appear.
I’ve reviewed a few song books over the years and often don’t love them, this one however, is awesome! This 30 page hardbound 9×9 book is a great size for toddlers and up, the only thing hard about the book is reading the words and not singing them.
The text is large and easy to read as it dances around the pages. It follows the song exactly, just not the repeating lines.
Each stanza tells a bit about an animal, and the animal answers who created them. The chorus is that Allah is our creator and some attributes.
The back of the book says for ages five and up, and yes some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced, but the general feel and point of the book is appropriate for little ones and the pictures will keep the littles engaged as well.
The bright colorful illustrations are playful and fun. They make the book able to stand alone even by chance you have never heard the song, or had it stuck in your head for days.
Like many of Emma Apple’s books that she writes and illustrates, the concept is simple, the illustrations minimal, the message clear, and the price a tad bit high.
At 50 pages this $17 soft bound Ramadan counting book is a little disappointing. Had it been half the price, I would say it was great. So, now that that is off my chest, let’s dive in.
The concept and text follow a pattern that it is Ramadan, the samosas are on the table for the guests and then there is a knock at the door and someone from a different country has arrived with a traditional dish, one meal more, to add to the table for them all to share. They get to 10 and the athan is called, they start with a date and they all eat.
I love that each of the women that arrive are not just from different countries, but that they are dressed different. Some are covered, some are not, those that are covered are all wearing their hijabs differently. The women are all smiling and the book shows diversity.
One could nitpick and say that many of the visitors do not bring a meal, they bring a drink or a snack, but I think that is besides the point. The point is that everyone from everywhere shares Ramadan, differently, but the same too. And this book brings the world down to size on one table and with welcome arms.
Muslims and non Muslim children ages 3 and up will get something out of it. Whether it just be counting or hearing different international foods or understanding how Ramadan unites Muslims all over the world, the repetitive words and pictures will illustrate the beauty of the month in a simple way.
The text on each page is presented in a fun font, as are the pictures. Really there is just one picture that makes Idris look angry and it is used in the story and the title page, which is unfortunate, I think it is supposed to have him look pensive, but it seems a bit off to me, where all the other pictures ooze with warmth and richness.
Islamic School Librarian 