Category Archives: Elementary Fiction

Dec28

Eliya’s Explains Miracles by Zanib Mian illustrated by Daniel Hills

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Eliya’s Explains Miracles by Zanib Mian illustrated by Daniel Hills

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It is quite remarkable how my standards and expectations have grown and evolved.  I anxiously have waited for the next book in the Eliyas series, having loved the Angels book that came out nearly two years ago.  Zanib Mian’s voice makes the reading of nearly all her books enjoyable, whether it is a fictionalized tale or an Islamic knowledge book with fictionalized framing.  This book disappointed me however, because I now expect and crave references and sourcing for books that present facts or at least qualified and named scholarly approval to be mentioned.  I also was not comfortable with the depiction of Buraq on the cover, on a full page illustration within the book, and on the back cover.  The text itself is lovely and informative, and nothing “seemed” off factually in this 92 page early chapter book, but the lacking reassurance of the content contained within prevented me from truly loving the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Eliyas has finally convinced his family to go camping.  With a late start and a lot of chaos they will have to set up the tent in the dark, alhumdulillah there is a full moon out.  As they drive to their campsite and marvel at the moon, they begin to discuss the miracle of the moon being split in to two.  As they find a place to settle, they discuss miracles about water, as they collect firewood they talk about the tree where Rasul Allah gave khutbahs from crying when he moved to give the khutbah from elsewhere.

The family of Eliyas, his younger brother, older sister and parents learn and discuss the miracle of the Quran, Prophet Dawud and Prophet Sulaiman peace be upon them both speaking with animals, Buraq and the night journey, Prophet Ibrahim (as) being in the fire, Prophet Musa (as) dividing the sea amongst other things, Prophet Isa (as)’s ability to heal the sick and with Allah’s permission breath life in to a clay bird, and the she camel miracle of Prophet Salih (as).

The camping trip, the siblings bickering and then helping one another, and Eliyas having to admit to forgetting the food, all tie the miracles together in an easy to read and engaging manner.

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WHY I LIKE IT:

I really love Zani’b Mian’s books, and I genuinely hope that she will consider removing the illustration of Buraq and having the miracles sourced, or the book “approved.”  Kids will read this book over and over again, long after they have grown out of the early chapter book demographic and inshaAllah it will inspire deeper knowledge to be sought.

I love the quiz at the end-with answers, playful fonts and doodles throughout the book, the short chapters, and relatable banter between the characters.

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FLAGS:

Depiction of Buraq

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TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Even with the depictions it could possibly be used as a read aloud story to first and second grade and up.  If you were a teacher or in a capacity to read the story to the students, so that they might not dwell on the illustrations, the book could be shared.  For reassurance, have someone more knowledgeable than I verify the miracles shared for accuracy though, before sharing.

This book, like so many of the books I review was purchased from http://www.crescentmoonstore.com and no I do not promote the store because it benefits me in any way, I just really the store, the service, the selection, and the prices.

Dec27

Shems and the Magic Seabream by Alwia Al-Hassan illustrated by Ada Konewki

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Shems and the Magic Seabream by Alwia Al-Hassan illustrated by Ada Konewki

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I don’t know how to review this book, I truly don’t, it claims to be based on Saudi folklore, it has #muslimsintheillustrations, and references Allah swt once, it is by a Muslim author, but it isn’t religious. And it definitely isn’t for everyone. It is terrible, and yet you can’t look away. Every stereotype about appearance and trope about step-mothers, it is all there, but EVIL CACKLE, the book is delicious, and not in the cooking the children and eating them sort of way, that is in the book too, but in the laugh-out-loud, gasp in disbelief, and be shocked at the complete disregard for political correctness, moral messaging, and lesson teaching that leaves a brightly illustrated dark tale for kids, and adults, to thoroughly enjoy. It pulls you in, it suspends reality, it makes good and bad so black and white that you accept the attempts at murder as justified, and it ultimately reminds you of the horrors that all fairytales build upon to entertain. I remember the first time as an adult I was asked to read Hansel and Gretel to a young niece. I knew the story, and started not thinking much of it, and then I froze: children are lost, they seek shelter in a home where they are not allowed to leave, the owner of the home wants to cook them and eat them. Yeah, this book is like that.

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Shems and her twin sister Shareefa live in a small town with their fisherman father. They are poor, but happy, until their father remarries and the stepmother is horrid. She is ugly and fat and covered in greasy spots, negative connotations that reflect her personality. (FLAGS: superficial judgement and body shaming). She hates children. (FLAG: Yes it uses the word hate, and calls children fat while contrasting them with cute children).

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She especially hates Shems and Shareefa. She tries to get rid of them: she puts them in the oven, abandons them in a field, tries to drown them in the night. But the girls somehow always escape and their father believes that it was all a misunderstanding. (FLAG: attempted murder).

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Now that the girls are older, they are forced to serve Mama Ouda, and when food runs low, she considers eating them. (FLAGS: abuse and threats). Luckily they are much too thin. One day when Mama Ouda is craving fish, Shems heads out to catch some seabream, yes that is a real type of fish. And the only one she catches is a magical one. (FLAG: magic).

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The next day Shems dressed as Shareefa recalls the fish’s promise near the water, and a basket of fish appears with pieces of sparkling gold. The girls eat like queens, hide the gold, and keep Mama Ouda fed. This carries on until they get caught and a murder and mermaid and moving out of their mud hut conclude the story and set up a potential sequel.

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The dad is pretty clueless and that has its own negative assumptions to counter, but if you and your kids can handle the over the top darkness, the story written in playful rhymes is sure to entertain and be asked for repeatedly. (FLAGS: stereotypes about fathers and stepmothers).

Dec15

Journey of the Midnight Sun by Shazia Afzal illustrated by Aliya Ghare

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Journey of the Midnight Sun by Shazia Afzal illustrated by Aliya Ghare

What an absolute joy to learn about something real for the first time in a children’s picture book meant for ages 3-5.  I am baffled that this story wasn’t celebrated and shared by not just Muslim’s everywhere, but Canadians as well.  It is a sweet instance of real life being harder to believe than fiction.  It warms your heart and reminds you that there are so many good people doing selfless things for the benefit of others, every single day, subhanAllah.  As for the 32 page book itself, story inspiration aside- I kind of wish it had more details of the real story in it.  The factual blurb on the back cover was a bit more awe inspiring than the totality of the book.  I think it is because it is meant for such little ones, but I don’t know for sure.  I hope that there will be more books for various ages, about this mosque’s incredible 2010 journey. 

There is a small community in Inuvik, in Northern Canada.  The growing Muslim community has outgrown their one room space and it is more expensive to build a masjid there, than to deliver a pre built masjid from Winnipeg. 

With the help of some non profit and local groups, a masjid is built and sent north, hopefully able to reach its final destination before the river freezes.  The journey is fraught with obstacles: roads are too narrow, bridges not ready, low utility wires. weather concerns, construction, the masjid tipping over, but alas it arrives, alhumdulillah.

The entire community welcomes the new masjid, and the Muslim’s have a new space to pray and gather.

I like that there are maps and indicators of the distance.  And while I like the interfaith aspect in Inuvik being presented, it seems incredibly specific in a very vague book for small children. Why is the imam identified separately, the whole paragraph is just awkward.   Additionally, there is no explanation for why a minaret was needed or if it is critical to a mosque.  Some information other than the children wanted one, would help avoid confusion seeing as this mainstream published book is not targeting only Muslims who would know the function of a minaret, and that they aren’t required structures.

Some links about the event that inspired the story:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-11731017

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2010/11/10/north_americas_most_northerly_mosque_officially_opens_in_the_arctic.html

Dec9

Turning Back to Allah: Sulaiman’s Caving Calamity by Aliya Vaughan illustrated by Rakaiya Azzouz

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Turning Back to Allah: Sulaiman’s Caving Calamity by Aliya Vaughan illustrated by Rakaiya Azzouz

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Good early elementary books can be tricky: the voice needs to read authentic, the lessons not preachy, and the scenarios relatable, all while not talking down to the reader or talking above their comprehension.  As fabulous middle grade books seem to be popping up at record speed, I find myself reading the same old books with my fourth child who is six.  Alhumdulillah, this book was nominated in the Muslim Bookstagram Awards 2021 competition and I was able to purchase and receive it quickly from Noura at Crescent Moon Store.  My son can read it, although because of the British terminology, he did better when I read it to him, none-the-less, he could explain it, he genuinely understood and related to the main character, and was emotionally connected to the outcome of the story.  The 49 page, color illustrated story is perfect for independent readers first or second grade and up.  The book also contains comprehension questions, etiquettes for du’a, a list of times and places when du’as are answered, and evidence for the story from hadith.  Additionally there are ayats from the Quran at the beginning and end of this well sourced book, alhumdulillah.

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SYNOPSIS:

Sulaiman is getting ready for an overnight scout trip in some caves.  He is nervous having been stuck in his apartment elevators the summer before and being lost at a park with his family.  His stress has him being mean to his little sister, and his dad tries to mediate, but you can sense that their normal bickering is heightened because this is going to be hard for Sulaiman.  The scouts meet up to board their mini bus and Sulaiman is acting weird, he wants to sit by the window, he wants to read signs, finally he tells Jacob about his worries and the two boys agree to stick together like glue while they are in the caves.  Foreshadowing is set, and when Sulaiman’s batteries roll away and he stops to retrieve them he gets separated from the group and he will have to rely on his faith in Allah swt to feel less alone and brave what is to come.

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WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that when Sulaiman is arguing with his sister he doesn’t have hadith quoted at him.  Sure it is ideal, but really, as parents we just want the bickering to stop most times and our kids to be nice.  It is often easier to instill morals and lessons in calm times, not in the middle of an emotional kerfuffle.  At the same time, when he is scared, he falls back on the lessons he has been taught from the Quran and sunnah.  I love how it reads realistic.  We want our kids to turn to Allah swt for all things, but sometimes to teach that we encourage them to seek Allah swt in times of happiness and times of hardship.  Sulaiman is scared, really scared, and he turns to Allah swt, and it is heartfelt and emotional.

I’m embarrassed to say, but I was a little confused by the being lost in a park prior story thread.  It either needed more detail, or maybe just more context, but I thought it was the same park they are heading to with scouts, then realized it was a completely separate park and incident, so I would like a bit more framing of that story line.  Also the stress of being stranded in the elevator, doesn’t directly connect to the rest of the story, perhaps bringing up some claustrophobia fears would have helped tie it all together.  As it is, it just seems that Sulaiman seems to be tested a lot and rather traumatically.

The illustrations being in full color and full page are a welcome surprise in the book.  However, there is one two-page illustration that shows the kids laughing before boarding the minibus, but it isn’t derived directly from the text, and I initially thought Sulaiman was being laughed at for his fears.  I went back, and it doesn’t seem that is the case, but I wonder if I was the only one confused by that illustration.

All-in-all the book physically is appealing to children with the open font, colorful pictures, size, and length.  The story is relevant, and the islamic tie-ins powerful, alhumdulillah.

FLAGS:

Some teasing, possible bullying among siblings.  Some scary moments mentioned and explored: being stuck in an elevator, lost in a park, left alone in a cave.

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TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

This would be a fun read aloud in a second grade class.

Dec8

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Uma Mishra-Newbery and Lina Al-Hathloul illustrated by Rebecca Green

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Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Uma Mishra-Newbery and Lina Al-Hathloul illustrated by Rebecca Green

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This 40 page early elementary book based on the efforts of the real life woman, Loujain AlHathloul, and her work to change the laws regarding women driving in Saudi Arabia, had a lot of promise.  Unfortunately, the symbolism connecting flying and driving, just didn’t work for me.  No one can flap their arms and fly, so to demand gender equality for an unrealistic action, is a big stretch that ultimately stretches itself too thin.  There is nothing Islamic, except women wearing a hijab in a few illustrations, or even Saudi specific in the book.  It talks of the desert, but the country is unnamed.   Overall, I just had so many questions such as: if she was flying before sunrise- how was she not seen returning from the sunflower patch, can women then never leave an area, are there ways they can fly as passengers, are there other modes of transportation, at what age are children allowed to fly, and so many more, that they prevented me from being inspired by the story.

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The book starts with Loujain believing in her self and knowing that one day she will fly.  She dreams of a place of a million sunflowers, a picture her dad has given her inspires her to seek out bright colors, capture them on film, and hang them in her room.

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In the morning her father straps on his wings, and flies off.  Loujain is not allowed to fly because she is a girl.  Her family tells her that one day she will.  When she tells the kids at school, they laugh at her.  When she pushes her dad to teach her, her mother advocates that he should.

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Loujain and her father practice flying before the sun rises, and finally they make the long journey to see the sunflowers.  Her father takes a picture of Loujain, and it appears the next day in the newspaper.  Other girls are inspired and begin to demand the right to fly too.

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I love the mom in the book, and her encouraging of Loujain’s dad to teach her.  She asks him, “if you don’t support her, who will?” I don’t know why the mom isn’t wearing a hijab on the last page though.  It seems like there is a subtle message there about hijab being legally required as well.

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The book is a reach, and for me it didn’t connect or leave an impression.  The information about the prison sentence and push back to achieve the legal change was far more interesting and memorable, but only a few paragraphs long at the end.

Nov25

Be Patient, Abdul by Dolores Sandoval

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Be Patient, Abdul by Dolores Sandoval

I share this book from 1996 to show how far we have come in telling our own stories with accuracy and emotion, as well as to celebrate those that featured Muslims in a positive, unapologetic light when there wasn’t a standard yet established. It is easy to harp on the negative, but truly the only way forward is demanding better of ourselves and of our representation. The book is disjointed-pulling in random details to focus on, and is very text heavy, slow, and dry. It does feature a Muslim family, though, and shows both Abdul (albeit in his underclothes) and his father praying salat. The text even mentions thanking Allah (swt). I honestly have been searching for past Islamic representation or mention in mainstream juvenile fiction, it fascinates me to see where the seeds first were planted: Sport by Louise Fitzhugh (1980) has a one line mention of a character being Muslim, Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird (1991), Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye (1997), Ruhksana Khan’s The Roses in My Carpets by a Muslim about Muslims(1998), The Hundredth Name (1995) by Shulamith Oppenheim.

Abdul is a seven-year-old little boy in Freetown, Sierre Leone. He sells oranges so that he can pay for school. School is not free, and selling oranges requires a lot of patience to save up enough to return to the classroom. One day he returns having not sold any, and his grandmother reminds him to be patient and to try a new market. His mother tells him to take his little sister Maryama with him. She is five and slows him down.

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In the evening Abdul’s father prays in their yard and then tells them about an upcoming parade to celebrate the anniversary of their country’s independence. Abdul’s mom will be in the parade. After more days of low and no sales, Abdul worries that school is a faraway dream. Maryama however, sells some oranges for him and he dares to hope he can sell a lot at the stadium and during the parade.

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Momma is marching in the parade, the family watches her. Abdul gets tired of waiting for her afterward and walks him. His dad has a good day of driving his taxi for people trying to get to the stadium and home from it. At the end of the day, they count up their money and there is enough for Abdul to return to school.

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The final page shows Abdul praying and thanking Allah for the oranges to sell, the taxi passengers and for patience. I have no idea why he is wearing an undershirt and underwear while he prayers, clearly his awrah is not covered, nor does it radiate reverence.

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The point of the book is to humanize another culture and perhaps make western children appreciative of their life, the ability to attend school, and not having to work from such a young age. The book I checked out from the library, doesn’t show that anyone in 1997 until today, or at least whenever the library switched from the stamped dates to electronic ones, ever checked out the book. And while yes it offers very little to the catalogue of memorable books of our time, it does show the early indications of our presence in literature.

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Nov24

Pepperoni, Pitches (and Other Problems) by Shifa Saltagi Safadi illustrated by Upit Dyoni

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Pepperoni, Pitches (and Other Problems) by Shifa Saltagi Safadi illustrated by Upit Dyoni

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I absolutely love how smart this book is, and how it allows for elementary aged readers to feel that “aha moment” when they read it, get it, and realize that they need to remember the lessons because it could happen to them.  The illustrations are an added bonus and are perfectly aligned with the tone and text of the story.  My only issue, is the title.  Pitches reads as a euphemism for another word and since the book involves girl drama, teasing, and misunderstandings, it really is hard to not have that thought zap your brain when you see the title.  Perhaps if the “and Other Problems” would have used a bigger font on the word “Problems” the alliteration would have been more obvious, and hidden the word “Pitches” a bit.  If I’m alone in this, I apologize to the author and publisher, (I’ve mentioned my concern to them), but for others that saw the word and questioned the content, rest assured it is about baseball and the book doesn’t have even a speck of questionable content.

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Amira is at a new school, and luckily it is Tuesday, Pizza Tuesday to be exact, and she can’t wait to dive into a cheesy slice.  Unfortunately, Olivia takes the last cheese piece and when Amira asks if she will let her have it, Olivia says she had it first.  Stuck with an egg salad sandwich that smells, Amira sits alone and broods.

In gym they are playing baseball, but no one knows how good Amira is, and she is picked last.  When Amira is up to bat, Olivia is the pitcher and her pitches are terrible.  Amira still mad about lunch and afraid that the others will blame her for not hitting the unhitable balls, shouts, “you’re supposed to aim at my bat.”  Everyone laughs, but Olivia runs off clearly upset.  The new pitcher sends a decent throw and Amira hits a home run.  The captain of the team praises her, and Amira is hopeful she’ll have someone to sit with her at lunch.  After class, Amira sees Olivia crying in the bathroom and no one asking her if she is ok, Amira doesn’t feel so well, and doesn’t ask either. On the bus ride home Amira is greeted with cheers for her home run, but Elena the captain, isn’t among them.

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The next day is picture day, and Amira trips and rips her shirt.  Everyone laughs, Elena says, “it was an ugly shirt anyways.”  Only one person offers her help.  Could Amira have misread the whole class dynamics?  How should she move forward?

Sorry, I’m not going to spoil the ending, but the message about owning up to your choices is stressed, along with making kind decisions, and sometimes needing to take a step back and understand things from someone else’s perspective.

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Like nearly all Ruqaya’s Bookshelf books, the story is universal, but the characters, illustrations, and point of view is a relatable Muslim one that allows our young Muslim readers to feel seen and celebrated.  The reliable large glossy pages make the book a great deal for your money and is available on the publisher’s website: http://www.ruqayasbookshelf or from my favorite bookstore http://www.crescentmoonstore.com

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Nov22

The World is Your Masjid written and illustrated by Kate Rafiq illustrated by

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The World is Your Masjid written and illustrated by Kate Rafiq illustrated by

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This 30 page preschool to early elementary aged book is a simple rhyming book that reaffirms all the places we can pray and touches on those that we shouldn’t.  The engaging illustrations and relatable scenarios make the book a great choice for bedtime stories and small group readings.  

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The book starts out with a hadith, “The entire earth is a masjid (place for prayer), except the graveyard and the washroom” (Tirmidhi-317) and points out that one must pray five times a day. Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 11.37.00 AM

It establishes that if you pray it a mosque you can follow the imam, but not to worry if you cannot, because you can pray (nearly) anywhere: a field in the rain, school, a train, a garden, a shed, even when sick you can pray in your bed.

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It then also turns to places you shouldn’t and can’t pray and sources a hadith about not praying where there are faces and statues that might distract you (Bukhari 374). The bathroom and graveyard are also included.  

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As an after thought, and for added laughs it reminds little readers to not pray in dangerous spots as well.

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Overall, I enjoyed the book and can see it pairing with In My Mosque to help create the foundation of a storytime theme about prayer and mosques.  The fact that it takes it a step further and doesn’t just list all the places serious and crazy that you can pray, elevates the book from being mediocre to being memorable and I appreciate that.  I also appreciate the Islamic sourcing, truly something that is required to show accuracy even in the “simplest” of all books.

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Nov17

A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

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A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

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This book combines knowledge with a sweet story and a spunky narrator.  Over 32 brightly illustrated pages the reader learns about the art of dyeing yarn, weaving, and the tradition of weaving saris in India moving from Mysore to Kaithoon in Kota.  The little girl loves it all, helping her father dye the threads, and watching her mother work the loom.  It often takes a month to make a sari, and her mother makes beautiful saris, but she never wears them.  With the help of her older sister Sadaf, the little girl hopes to earn enough money to gift her mother a beautiful sari to wear.  It will take a lot of work, some community help, and some sacrifice, but Ammi is worth it and the girls are up for the challenge.  Preschool to early elementary readers will enjoy learning about the daily life of these amazing Indian Muslim artisans and a craft that they perhaps were not aware existed.

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The buffalo are sleeping, but in the afternoon Abba is busy dyeing threads, and mama is weaving colors into prints of mangoes, peacocks, birds, leaves, and flowers.  The whole family helps.  Abba goes to the haat to sell the completed saris.  Sometimes Mama goes as well, but she doesn’t wear the saris, she wears worn-out salwar-kameezes.

One day, when Ammi finishes a particularly beautiful sari the little girl asks her to keep it, but her Ammi says, “If we keep the saris, how will we eat?”  The little girl doesn’t understand, they don’t eat saris.

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Sadaf explains to her little sister that the only way their Ammi will wear a sari is if they buy her one.  So the little girl breaks her bank apart to count the money she has and convinces Sadaf that the things they wanted with the money are nothing compared to how much they want something for their mother.

But Sadaf says they only have enough money for a towel, not a sari, so the girls gather some items to sell to the junk man.  They have enough to buy Ammi a duputta, but still not a sari.

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They wander home through the wheat field trying to come up with other money raising ideas.  The wheat remind the little girl of worshippers on Eid day- all praying together at the mosque.  The little girl remembers that sometimes their neighbor Amina Khala purchases dyed threads from them and they rush over to see if she has any work for them.  Luckily she does, and they have just enough to buy a sari for Ammi and be rewarded with a smile and tears from their beloved and talented mother.

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The book has an information page at the end about The Saris of Kaithoon, as well as a glossary.  The story ends a bit abruptly, but the teardrop in the illustrations, the hugging, and the smile, do provide a universal relatability to parents everywhere when their children gift them something so genuinely from the heart.  The illustrations also show women with their heads covered going about their daily life.

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Nov15

My Name is Bana by Bana Alabed illustrated by Nez Riaz

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My Name is Bana by Bana Alabed illustrated by Nez Riaz

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OWN voice books are always important, and while we see a rise in minority voices claiming their own stories, to read a child’s story about war and hope by a child, is particularly impressive.  Bana Alabed was born in 2009, she is an activist, a Syrian refugee, and now an author.  Her clear voice doesn’t stumble and her perspective is unapologetic, yet hopeful.  Over 40 pages she tells her story in her own words with beautifully warm and complementary illustrations filling the pages.  For kindergarten and up, this book stands out in a crowded field of refugee inspired stories for its authenticity, strong author, and overall emotional connection.

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Bana begins her picture book memoir by asking her mother why she was named Bana.  Her mother explains that she was named after a tall bushy tree that grows in Syria.  Her favorite tree.  A tree that is qawai, Arabic for strong.

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Bana then asks what it means to be strong.  And once again her mother lovingly explains, that strong is to be brave even when you are scared, and to be sturdy so others can lean on you.  It also means you use your mighty voice to speak up when something is wrong, you read, study, and exercise your body.

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Bana appreciates her name, and being strong, because war came to her country.  When bombs fell they had to hide, when her brothers were scared, she had to keep them distracted, when they moved to a new place where they didn’t know the language or any people, she had to be strong still.

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As a young girl, Bana tweeted about the war, the book doesn’t touch on that, but it does show her being strong as she shares her story all over the world.  It then returns to her and her mother discussing amal, Arabic for hope, and Bana imagines herself strong, reaching into the sky.

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The book ends on a simpler note of acknowledging her little brothers’ names: Laith and Noor, lion and light.  The Author’s Note at the end is just as powerful as the text of the book and provides more information about Bana’s experience and outlook. The way that war is handled is not overpowering for young readers, and will provide a great starting point of discussion.  The relationship between Bana and her mother is warm and supportive and equally deserving of mention with the little people you share the book with, alhumdulillah.

“Kids shouldn’t have to always be strong.  Every child deserves to live in peace.” Bana Alabed