May3

Sunnah and Science: What Modern Research Tells Us about Prophetic Traditions by Aquila Fatima illustrated by Azra Momin

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Sunnah and Science: What Modern Research Tells Us about Prophetic Traditions by Aquila Fatima illustrated by Azra Momin

The title and premise of this hardbound 54 page resource book for children definitely caught my eye.  The contents covered, the two page fully illustrated compelling spreads, and the intext labeling of hadith and Quranic ayats make this book versatile in homes and classrooms for a wide variety of ages.  As the daughter of a convert, the knowledge that science is not in contradiction to Islam is something I grew up hearing about a lot in casual conversation, and I love that this book addresses it head on for children with pull out bubbles, reminders, fun facts, duas, and the like.  My only concern that I truly can’t wrap my head around, is why isn’t their sourcing for the “scientific” information? Nothing is overly scientific, and nothing “feels” off, but none-the-less, the book repeatedly says “Research shows,” and “Science proves,” “Scientists are still,” “Scientific research says,” but never once shares what scientist, or research, or science.  The book has the space for footnotes or sourcing or a bibliography, and in a book trying to give readers the confidence to show how the sunnah and science support one another, to not have the sourcing to back it up, is a glaring admission.  Buried in the author bio it states the author has “a Masters degree in genetics” and worked as a “science teacher for elementary school students,” but to me, the book needs to back up the statements to successfully empower and accomplish what it sets out to do.  I hope future printings will include sufficient backmatter, even without the book is well done, but the standard is the standard for good reason, non fiction needs sourcing.

The book covers 25 topics, dedicating two pages to each topic, with a title heading, and an Islamic source subheading.  The topics include, smiling, rain, sleeping, swimming, wudu, salah, fasting, honey, cleanliness, bathroom etiquette, yawning and hygiene to name a few.

Most pages contain facts, ayats from the Quran, sunnahs, benefits, supporting scientific tie ins, and adorable illustrations.  The book concludes with an author’s note, thoughts by readers on the book, and an author bio.

Apr29

Your Friend From Palestine by Nabila Adani

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Your Friend From Palestine by Nabila Adani

This book is absolutely gorgeous, from the raised text on the cover, the sweeping illustrations with tangible details, the Islamic threads, and the heart, but…yeah you knew something critical was coming, the rhyme is not consistent, and the biggest hurdle for me, is that there is no backmatter.  I can’t say that I’m “bringing this up again,” because I don’t know that the debate ever dies down: can you write a book about something personal that you have not lived through? In this case can a non Palestinian write a book from a Palestinian perspective? As a former journalist and long time reader, I still maintain that you can, but backmatter detailing your own limitations, what efforts were made to have the book verified by those with OWN voice experience, and background information on why this is pertinent and relevant are mandatory. And this book does not offer them.  Nothing feels off about the contents, and anyone with a heart, has seen and felt everything on the pages about our brothers and sisters living under occupation and through genocide. So is it a good book, yes. Do I think it has value, yes. But, is it authentic? Is it accurate? Is it enough? Does the focus on hardship and destruction open eyes or diminish Palestinian joy? Why wasn’t a Palestinian brought in to cowrite the book with the author illustrator? Was it sensitivity read? I am not able to answer these questions, I simply bring up my concerns for you to decide for you and your children. While the book ends on hope for a free Palestine, and a safe Gaza, the oppressor is unnamed.

The book starts with children on a beach playing when they find a message in a bottle.  The message is from Khalid, a child in Gaza telling the finder about his life and asking about theirs. He likes to play football, but sometimes it isn’t safe, he likes to read stories but often can’t because there are no lights, and he dreams of swimming in a swimming pool, because they often don’t even have water to drink.

Khalid then tells the finders of the bottle, and thus the readers, to not lose hope, “to hold on to your imaan.” And it highlights what we can all do to help.  “You can pray for us! Send charity! Spread the news!” and tell people about Palestine. So that one day we can meet at the Dome of the Rock, pray at Masjid Al-Aqsa, and be together in a free Palestine, inshaAllah.

The illustrations are beautiful and the framing effective in connecting with readers, and highlighting the similarities before revealing the obstacles. Again why I wish there was backmatter, so that it didn’t feel simplistic, but rather bringing it down to a younger audience level.  With dialogue, explanation, and context, the book can be powerful, but on its own, I feel the lacking authenticity, transparency, and details about Palestine, make the book in need of an update before future reprintings.

Apr27

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

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Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

The author may have returned to her fictional Golden Crescent neighborhood, but with her best writing yet, the focus is not romance like in her earlier books, it is a murder mystery.  If you think of it, who better to solve a mystery than an unassuming Desi Aunty with a knack for observations, getting people to talk, and prying into other people’s business? I say it with love, this book was such a fun read, I’m sure I should have paid more attention to craft and arcs and writing style, but honestly I devoured the 336 pages in two settings, and genuinely hope that Kausar is just getting started. The adult read isn’t salacious, it does feature a murder, some marital dramas, crime, fraud and the like, I think mature teens that aren’t bothered by a grandmother protagonist will enjoy the read. The first chapter is a bit dry and feels like an info dump, luckily it isn’t a long chapter and I ultimately, appreciated it getting the stage set and then slipping out of the way so the story could get good. The telling and not showing takes a while to flesh out, the author does a good job of threading it through, and by the mid point you really get a feel for the characters and appreciate the early statements that set the tone, and the book’s ability to tie up nearly every thread it presents.  There isn’t a ton of Islam, many of the characters are Muslim; the traditions and cultural expectations are plot beats in the story, even if the action and expectations are not overtly seen through an Islamic lens or with Islamic boundaries.  

SYNOPSIS:

Kausar Khan has always noticed things around her, and when needed, used those observations to position certain outcomes.  When she gets a call from her daughter in Toronto that she needs her mom to come help with the kids as he is wanted for murder, Kausar Khan leaves North Bay and returns to a city filled with memories of tragedy to try and help.  Sana asks her mom not to get involved and to just help with the cooking, cleaning, and childcare, but old friends, new secrets, and the high stakes of a murder are not going to keep this Aunty from unraveling the truth.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love the concept, the execution, and that it didn’t unravel at the end.  I read the last few pages with the same intensity as the climax, trying to figure out whodunit.  The play on traditions and stereotypes to lure suspects in, and the wit and charm of using the religion and culture to advance the plot were flawless.  Sure, I wish the characters threw in some commentary on men and women being alone together not being ok, or some Islamic insight into marriages and rights.  It seemed intentionally lacking, and that is unfortunate. I also felt the thread with the son coming from the UK was painfully underdeveloped, the heart of the book though was strong.  And I loved the side commentary on marriage and women’s roles.  It was insightful and added depth, it didn’t come across as angry or like the author had an axe to grind, which was refreshing.  

FLAGS: 
Murder, affairs, fraud, pyramid schemes, theft, racism, gentrification.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
The book won’t work for a school book club, but is a perfect summer read to giggle about and chat about with friends.

Apr24

Mustafa’s Mithai by Sana Rafi illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

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Mustafa’s Mithai by Sana Rafi illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

On the surface this 32 page OWN voice authored and illustrated book is absolutely adorable, a little boy who wants to share mithai’s with his friends and saves a gulab jamun for himself. As a mother of a child named Mustafa, who didn’t have a wedding cake a hundred years ago but flew in gulab jamuns from out of state, this book should be close to my heart, except the story makes no sense. The cultural rep is great, it isn’t religious, but mentions eid, shows Nani in a hijab, and the word Allah in Arabic appears in one of the illustrations on a wall decoration, but take that all away, and the story doesn’t add up.  The first few spreads establish how sad Mustafa is because he can’t eat his beloved mithai as all the holidays, birthdays, and Eid have passed, and mithai is only eaten in celebration.  This is particularly devastating since they have a huge box of leftover mithai. No idea why such a forced build up, but the take away would suggest that wasting leftovers is better, which makes no sense. No worries, Ammi says every day is a celebration, but Mustafa doesn’t acknowledge or build off of what his mother tells him, sticking with his original assessment he decides to have his non Desi friends over for a party to eat the leftovers. Ok, I’ll play along, maybe just the framing is awkward. Nope, after a pizza dinner he picks out a different mithai for each of his friends…and starts with Falooda, a jelly and ice cream drink! Mithai means sweets, so technically it could be a mithai, even if not commonly referred to as one, but surely not a left over one what would still be good, and definitely not one from the box. Another assigned sweet for a friend, is kulfi.  Kulfi is a frozen dessert akin to ice cream, and often served on a stick.  Again, no way it is from the leftover box and not really in the same classification of ladoo, chum-chum, jalebi, and rasmalai.  The illustration shows an apple in the leftover box, and the author’s note seems to suggest a more generalized use of the term, “mithai,” but craft wise, why have the boy build up the framing of when a cultural food genre is consumed, only to walk it back and have it contradict? Why have foods that wouldn’t be leftovers served? I know, I’ll be the minority and I’m over thinking it, but why go through all the effort of trying to be a window to a culture and its foods, having it beautifully bound and illustrated, only to skimp on the actual story part?

The book as stated above, starts with Mustafa wanting mithai, and being sad that nani and nana have left, eid and Baba’s birthday are over, and sweets are only eaten in celebration. Mustafa decides to have some friends over in celebration to eat the left overs and Ammi says “Mithai is always sweetest when shared.”

The kids all arrive and when they look in the big pink box they aren’t sure what they are looking at, Mustafa explains the variations and his friends are at a loss at what to pick.  To solve the dilemma Mustafa offers to match everyone up with a mithai after playing and dinner.

One by one he assigns a sweet to a friend, saving a gulab jamun for himself.  They all want more, and in round two the emboldened guest pick their own making sweet memories indeed. The backmatter is the author’s note explaining mithai, where they come from, the prevalence of dairy, and the role sweets have in Desi culture.

Apr23

The Last Resort by Sumayyah Hussein illustrated by Rania Hasan

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The Last Resort by Sumayyah Hussein illustrated by Rania Hasan

Once I got over my disappointment that the no parking sign on the bottom left of the cover was a deer and not a unicorn (clearly it is a deer, no shade to the illustrator), the 149 page early chapter book with illustrations was a decent read.  The messaging about family time was a little didactic, but the twist of having the child want it, opens it up to be both reflective for kids also craving family routine, and those that don’t appreciate what they have.  I do wish that the climax of the “noise” was amplified and built upon to add some urgency and tension. And the resolution a little more explained as I don’t know that most target readers will quite grasp what was going on in the resolution.  I know I would probably complain if it was over explained, but here we are.  The book is not preachy in its portrayal of faith, the family is Muslim and they pray and worship as part of their daily routine. The text and spacing, along with the full page black and white illustrations that present once nearly every chapter, make the book accessible and inviting for 2nd and 3rd graders.  I know I sound like a broken record, but the book really just needed a bit more polishing to truly shine, it isn’t a bad read, but based on my own kids interaction with the book, once they put it down, they forgot about it, and just weren’t motivated to pick it back up.

SYNOPSIS:

Mahmoud’s family has recently moved to Edmonton, and everyone is busy.  It is summer vacation and he is already bored. When he finds out his one friend is going away all summer, he devises a plan to force his family to come together. He finds a hotel near Banff, marks the calendar, and hopes for the best.  The family comes together, but the hotel has broken beds, toilets that don’t flush, roaches in the kitchen, and an elevator that they are told is out of order, but is still in use.  The family starts to turn on Mahmoud, but when he explains how everyone is too busy to spend together, they decide to make the best of the situation.  Weird noises and details that don’t add up, send Mahmoud exploring and ultimately make it a vacation to remember.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The story is sweet, and I am always a sucker for kids that solve problems. I hope that one day, self sufficiency in fictional characters will rub off on readers, but alas it hasn’t happened to mine yet.  The book is fine, the pieces are there, the writing is decent, it just needs a bolt of energy to make this a book that kids really would gravitate to and read over and over again.

FLAGS:

None: maybe a little anxiety and gross factors, and a kid books a hotel without permission.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

The book should be on shelves in libraries (I wish Ruqaya’s Bookshelf Books were in public libraries), but definitely in school libraries, classrooms, and homes. I don’t think it has enough to discuss in a book club setting as it is a simple linear story with only one plot line. SPOILER kids may need a bit of help understanding what a front is and what was being done with the animals, and why a hotel in Canada outside of a National Park all came together to make it an ideal criminal headquarters for such activities.

Apr22

The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee

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The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee

With a release date of May 6, I really wanted to wait to post a review because the images are gorgeous in the electronic version, and I can only imagine how moving and captive they will be presented in a physical format, but alas I know the importance of presales and am sharing to hopefully encourage you to preorder and/or request from your library, this gorgeous 40 page OWN voice book.  A love letter to Damascus, and the sights, sounds, smells, taste, and feelings that the author remembers despite the mountains and oceans that now separate her, are lyrically shared with readers on a journey through the city. The ethereal lilting of words draw readers of all backgrounds in, and the complimentary gorgeous illustrations convey a palpable sense of beauty, love, and memories of home.  Even on a screen, they force you to get lost in their beauty. The cadence of the words allow natural pauses that tug on your eyes and draw them toward something in the images not seen before, forcing the readers and listeners alike to hesitate before turning the page.

The book starts with a little girl telling where she comes from, “the City of Jasmine,” “the Umayyad Mosque,” “Ghouta,” “Damascus,” “Qasioun,” “Qala’at Dimashq,” headers for spreads rich with poetry, wonder, and longing.

Neighborhoods of diverse families gathering, and sharing the foods that bring people together, and quiet bookshops that facilitate travel through time. Family memories built around orchards and fountains and laughter and love.  So far away from the author now, the memories are not lost, they can be touched when the scent of jasmine is “breathed in, and breathed out.”

The book concludes with an author’s note and a glossary.  Those of us who are not Syrian, and who have never been, after spending time with this book will undoubtedly be tempted to add Damascus to our bucket list of travel plans, and inshaAllah as the country rebuilds such trips will come to fruition.

Apr15

Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden by Jenan A. Matari illustrated by Aya Ghanameh

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Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden by Jenan A. Matari illustrated by Aya Ghanameh

This sweetly illustrated 32 page rhyming book starts off introducing a little girl living in one place, and having a home in Palestine that she has never been to, but loves.  The book then becomes pretty universal with her and her grandfather talking about what grows, his “green thumb superpowers,” and the magic of planting small trees that change and produce. The pages then add in more Arabic words of what is grown, and then when Jiddo is drying his eyes recounting why he had to flee his home and his roots, I too, found I was emotionally invested in light of everything current and past, and the simple words weaving a heartfelt story of family, connection, and home. I do wish that there was some Islam in the text or illustrations: a dua, a plea to Allah swt, a hijab on a main character not just on background memories, but there is not. There is also nothing overtly political or named in the text. The backmatter does discuss the Nakba without naming names and highlights the author’s inspiration, but inshaAllah nothing that will get the book banned or kept off shelves. The rhyme and cadence are pretty good, it doesn’t feel overly forced, but when reading aloud in a group, as always, I suggest practicing a few times to make the flow consistent.

The book starts with a beautiful spread of a mother and daughter looking through a photo album, and imaging going to Palestine one day, the subsequent pages show how Jiddo’s garden helps bring Palestine to them. The “sour green janarek plums,” “crunchy green khiyar,” and “plump red bandora.” Mama makes warak enab and Teta sings for more.

One day the little girl wonders how her Jiddo learned to grow everything and he shares that he learned from his father how to care for the land.  She then wants to know why they left Palestine, and he says, “our land was taken from us…and our family had to flee.” The hope is to return, the illustrations show the key to their occupied home being held on to, and reinforces the symbolism that Palestinians are like seeds that will flourish wherever they are, reaching toward the light.

The book contains a glossary with words written in English and in Arabic script, and an author’s note in the backmatter with presumably personal photographs of the author and her family.  I read a digital ARC and look forward to release day for my preorder to arrive.

Apr14

Say Something, Poupeh Babaee!: A Graphic Novel by Haleh Massey illustrated by Ghazal Qadri

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Say Something, Poupeh Babaee!: A Graphic Novel by Haleh Massey illustrated by Ghazal Qadri

I had planned to just flip through this 176 page middle grade graphic novel to see primarily if there was any Islam mentioned, and if so, to see how it was framed. The blurb makes it clear it is culturally Iranian immigrant in focus, and set during the Muslim ban.  The heightened intrigue is that it isn’t just metaphorically about finding your voice, the character is labeled as having selective mutism and the author who is a clinical psychologist truly has her protagonist voiceless in nearly every setting for the majority of the book. The bright illustrations, and easy read though, had me reading the book front to back and finding that Islam is by-and large-not present. The flashbacks to her life in Iran show her wearing a scarf, and praying, and the memories are warm and inviting, with no internalized Islamophobia or political commentary, or Islamic practices at all following Poupeh to America. In fact when sought after news is finally heard the family exclaims, “it’s a Christmas miracle.”  It is hinted that the female cousin has a girlfriend, and the book features a lot of stereotypes about aggressive men, name mispronunciation, bullying for ethnic foods, and anti immigrant ideologies.  On the plus size it normalizes therapists, shows character arcs for the main and minor characters, and shows that inability to speak, doesn’t mean someone doesn’t understand.  While the book was better than I thought it would be in many ways, it ultimately didn’t have a climax, all the build up for two questions, really fell flat for me.  I also felt like while the Muslim ban was a fairly unique premise (shout out to Kareem Between!) all the other tropes are overly done, and render the book forgettable even though the format of a graphic novel should make it a standout.

SYNOPSIS:

Poupeh Babaee has come to America from Iran alone, her parents were held up settling their affairs, and they didn’t want her to miss more school, so she is sent ahead to stay with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She understands English, but when she messes up the national anthem on her first day of school and is teased, she simply stops talking, not even to correct when everyone starts calling her “poopy baby.”  When the Muslim ban blocks travel for her parents to come, the fate of her family rests on being able to plead their case in an immigration interview. Yes, she is 10 and will be asked two questions to determine if her parents are terrorists or not.  There is teasing, tension with the cousin she has to share a room with, and a sympathetic therapist that flesh out the story of trying to get Poupeh to say something.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like many of the pieces, and I like the format, but I really felt that the build up to the interview, the pressure she was under, was not warranted by the interview itself.  Had some commentary existed about the brevity of the interview or the chaos of America’s immigration policies perhaps it would have been worth the anticipation.  As written though, it felt rushed.  Same for the portrayal of the men in the story: from Poupeh’s own father, her uncle, to Trevor’s dad, all are aggressive, and I’m glad her own father apologizes, but again, it felt rushed and anti-climatic.  I don’t expect literary masterpieces from most mg graphic novels, but some of the “meanness” seemed abrupt for shock value, and made the cousin, the dad, the uncle read very inconsistent.  I had hoped a therapist author would have brought not just a storyline of mental health, in this case, selective mutism, but some nuance to the immigrant experience, moving beyond food, clothes, and names.  Speaking of names, I googled what Poupeh’s name means in English, and it really should have been in the book, or at least the backmatter.

FLAGS:

Stereotypes, racism, hate speech, hints and relationships, mental health, anger, homesick, bullying,

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

The level and format would not make it a good choice for a book club read.  I probably would not unshelve this book, but I wouldn’t seek it out either.

Apr12

Lulu in the Spotlight: A South Asian Wedding Story by Natasha Khan Kazi

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Lulu in the Spotlight: A South Asian Wedding Story by Natasha Khan Kazi

This adorable 40 page culture focused picture book explores a Desi tradition with layers of competition, frustration, mystery, problem solving, kindness, and joy woven in.  Lulu likes the groom and his family, but at her cousin Amirah’s wedding, the games are about to begin, and she has a plan to win the money for team bride, and prove she is old enough to share in the spotlight. Each of the traditional teasing games though find Lulu pushed aside, until the joota chupai, where the shoes go missing.  With Nani’s encouragement to stay true to herself, Lulu gets a chance to shine by doing it her way, and bringing the families together. There are a few visible hijabis in the illustrations of this Muslim author/illustrated book and the backmatter really makes the traditional references accessible to all readers.  As a Pakistani American, my children haven’t attended cultural weddings with all the traditions, fun, and games, and this book is already a favorite in discussing what this family does, where our families might do it a bit different, and how they can twist it to fit an upcoming wedding we have this summer.  The bright large pages, add to the text and illustrations truly conveying the excitement, emotions, and colors of South Asian weddings.  By focusing on one tradition, and not trying to include everything about the multiday affairs, the book stays on message and maintains an in the moment tone, keeping the readers engaged, well done.

The book opens at the mehndi ceremony of Lulu’s cousin, and while the dances are taking place, Lulu is scheming.  She knows the next day there will be chances to make some prize money from blocking the groom and stealing his shoes, and she is determined to capitalize. Normally it is just the bride’s side against the groom’s side, but Lulu has to battle her own cousins for a role in the games.  Tarek says she is too little.  Zara is clever at negotiating, and Farah is athletic and gets places fast.  In the past, Lulu hasn’t been included, but this time, this wedding, she is ready.

On the groom’s side it is Kamal, Sameer’s little brother that serves as Lulu’s biggest competition, and who trips her as she heads for the shoes. Frustration and sadness have damped the festivities for Lulu, yet she still is helpful and kind.  With the games wrapping up, a dejected Lulu finds solace in her grandmother’s lap.  When Nani shares why the shoe stealing tradition still is carried out, Lulu knows just what to do to find the spotlight her way.

 

 

Apr10

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed

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The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed

There is no Islam, save being told a wedding took place in a mosque, in this 320 page adult book by a Muslim author.  The thriller, mystery, romance, is fairly clean, save some drugs, killings, kissing, and normalized dating, yet I would probably be fine with mature teens reading it, if so inclined.  By the end, I enjoyed the book, but it took me three attempts to get past the 30% mark as the opening was painful with its numerous characters being name dropped, the setting being established, and getting the characters into position.  But then slowly the exposition gave way to story telling and intrigue, and the second half was a decent read.  Honestly, my biggest problem with the book is that I just didn’t like the main character, or any of the characters really, and I don’t know why.  They didn’t have some clear flaw or annoying habits, they just felt distant and bland, which resulted in the plot carrying the book, and me not really caring if the protagonist was killed or harmed, I know- harsh.  I cannot deny though, that what kept me reading was to see who was behind it all and I did figure it out, but continued on just the same to be sure, and that is a testament to the author’s writing skill, even if it took a minute for the pacing, plot, twists and climax to pull me in.

SYNOPSIS:
Nura Khan runs an elite matchmaking service in Atlanta, from hands on to a dating app, her and her team match people of all backgrounds and faiths.  She herself has a long time friend who acts as a fiancé for image purposes, and a recently retired aunt who’s bad days have meant family dynamics have changed.  As a third generation matchmaker, Nura is in charge and knows what she is doing, until suddenly her image, her reputation, and her matches start faltering.  Not confined to just heartbreak, there is also stalking, threatening notes, kidnappings, and attempted murder, which suddenly thrust Nura into a world she is ill prepared for, and one that seems to put her in the crosshairs of someone determined to see her demise.

WHY I LIKE IT:

It wasn’t a heavy thriller or heavy romance, it was an easy read that didn’t “other” desi culture and I found that refreshing. That being said, I always wish her books had Islam in them.  I also liked that the climax and second half honestly didn’t feel overly forced, I’m not a writer so take it with a grain of salt that I complain that the beginning was dry and too much telling, but then the second half flew by and loose ends were more or less tied up in a satisfactory way. I’m aware that the second half was a result of what was a established in the first part, but none-the-less I hope future books will make the two halves less cumbersome and inconsistent. I also really hope future books will have more character appeal.  There was a lot of potential to care deeply about the main characters, from the aunt, to the best friend, to Nura herself, but they lacked spark, and sadly just felt like vehicles for a plot that wasn’t dependent on them, their experiences, their flaws, and their personalities.

FLAGS:

Dating and relationships of all faiths, persuasions and labels, kissing, attempted murder, killing, plotting, lying, scheming, kidnapping, drugging, physical abuse, assault, deception.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

With no Islam I wouldn’t do this as a high school book club, but amongst friends it would be a fun group read.