Category Archives: Toddler

Mar7

Mini Muslim Minds: Heart Germs & Gems by Zanib Mian illustrated by Hilmy an Nabhany

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Mini Muslim Minds: Heart Germs & Gems by Zanib Mian illustrated by Hilmy an Nabhany

These are not books that you hand to an elementary aged child to read independently, they are meant to facilitate conversation, gently guide, and be a tool in shaping awareness and emotional intelligence for our little believers.  I love that once again the author has filled a gap in our repertoire and made the information accessible, age appropriate, and easy to engage with.  We often use words like generosity, gratitude, stinginess, and fail to properly explain what they mean, what they look like, what they feel like, and how to counter them or make them grow.  These are not fictional stories with heavy moral themes, these are non-fiction self help books for little kids, that require the adults to share and tailor to the child(ren) or situation at hand.  With Eid around the corner I have spent a few evenings going through the generosity and gratitude books with my six year old and referencing it as his Eid list continues to grow out of control. And the format and voice, even though text heavy, work great one-on-one, I can also see this series working well in small groups and classrooms as they are short and relatable in presenting emotional intelligence. InshaAllah these are just the first three installments of the series.

The first few pages of each 24 page book are the same: A reference to a Hadith regarding good character admitting people into Paradise, explaining the concept of Heart Germs and Heart Gems, and giving time to explaining that there is the heart that beats, and the one that is the “place where all our big emotions happen.” The format has the illustrations on the left and the text on the right in the small 7.5 x 8 soft bound books.

Heart Germs & Gems: Generosity: The book first explains the concept of stinginess and links it to being afraid that you won’t have enough.  It shares ways to help determine if you are being stingy, and how it makes you feel. It then explores how to cure that Heart Germ with Generosity.  It provides little ways to start small and how it brings joy to others, pleases Allah swt and can lighten the heart, as you truly learn that everything comes from Allah swt.

Heart Germs & Gems: Gratitude: Alhumdulillah is not just knowing that everything is a gift from Allah swt, it is feeling happy and thankful for all of it. The book explains gratitude and then the opposite, the germ in the heart, of being ungrateful. It provides ways to be more grateful, encouraging that one notices the blessings in life.  There is an English translation of the verse in the Qur’an, Surah Ibrahim, “If you are grateful, I will give you more,” and then explains it in action and highlights how true happiness does not come from riches, but from gratitude and contentment.

Heart Germs & Gems: Anger: The book starts with how to calm your anger by first understanding why you got angry, how it feels, and how to calm it before it grows. It then takes a page explaining why controlling one’s anger is important, and what can happen when we don’t. It teaches Audhoobillhi minashaytan nirajeem as a tool to help along with taking deep breaths, changing our position, and making wudu. It then normalizes that anger is a something that everyone deals with and references that controlling it makes Allah swt happy and that Prophet Muhammad saw, said that those that can control their anger are strong. The book also shares that anger isn’t always bad and can motivate us to stand up for what’s right, and as long as we are in control of the emotion, it can be good.

Mar3

My Super Fun Niqabi Mum! by Red illustrated by Abz Hakim

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My Super Fun Niqabi Mum! by Red illustrated by Abz Hakim

This large 10 x 10 inch, 24 page rhyming normalization and celebration of niqab, is loads of fun. Seriously, the book is delightfully told by a child with full confidence and love for his amazing mom who wears niqab.  The book does not go into why she wears it, but addresses some of the stereotypes as it smashes through them.  The book is meant for toddlers, but is such a good reminder for Muslims and non Muslims that what you see on the outside, is just a tiny piece of all that a person is, feels, and is capable of.  I do wish there was some Islam in the book, or mention that she wears it outside her home, as the illustrations show her wearing it all the time, but I get that, that would overly complicate such a joyous concept book. There is a scannable QR code to hear the audiobook included, and no faces are shown in the illustrations.

The book is really just rhyming lines of a little boy proclaiming how fabulous his niqabi mom is, and what she does that makes her amazing like all moms.  It does empower that what she wears is her choice and does not limit her, and that he recognizes that she is different.  But there is no apologizing or over explaining, which keeps the tone exactly where it should be for praising of his dragon slaying, mountain climbing mom, who happens to wear niqab, and doesn’t mind when people ask her how she eats (but no, it doesn’t answer that question).

So good to see niqab being celebrated in a picture book through the lens of a mother and her child.

Mar2

The Swallows of the Cube House by Sana Kamyar illustrated by Azam Vazehi

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The Swallows of the Cube House by Sana Kamyar illustrated by Azam Vazehi

With vibes of a folktale or myth, the imaginative story of how the swallows took up residence at the Kaaba is a sweet story with beautiful illustrations.  How the story actually reads though, is a bit awkward for me.  Told from the personified perspective of a swallow, it seemed a little odd that the names of the birds: Redbreast, Skytail, Whitewing, did not start appearing until page 12, the Kaaba is never named, and there really isn’t any religion articulated. The language is lyrical, which conveys the emotions of some of the worshippers that the swallows see, but also leaves it all so very vague.  The birds giggle and laugh (yes the word giggle appears frequently), happy that they found a new home that is like the mountains, the beach, and cities, this, along with kids playing, are the main takeaways, not even hinting that the Kaaba is a place that has everything to fill one’s heart or that the acts are being done in worship to Allah swt.  The culmination of it I felt needed to be stronger, why the swallows too are circling the house of Allah, swt, but it once again is so vague, and the final page breaking the fourth wall, unfortunately just seems unnecessary, it could have been done better with informative backmatter.

The book starts with a swallow telling the reader that, “One day it finally happened.”  Not sure what it is, the story then tells how the swallows fly from location to location liking certain aspects of the mountains and coast and forest and cities, and how being in one place though, makes them miss the other places.  They come to the “cube house” and all there needs are met by the sounds, the tears, the giggles, the playing of children, etc. and so they stay.

I could see the book being a decent starting point for discussion if it crossed in to talking about how animals worship the creator, or if it gave any backmatter about swallows and their environmental or migratory tendencies, so that readers could appreciate them settling in Makkah, or even if it talked about the parts of hajj or umrah, but as just a story imaging why they settled where they did, to me feels a little short.  That it is based on a real flock of birds is amazing and I just don’t think the text gets readers to truly appreciate it, and the illustrations, while wonderful, can’t do it all on their own.

 

Feb20

Just Right Ramadan by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Ava Haghighi

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Just Right Ramadan by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Ava Haghighi

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.

Feb15

Too Soon for the Moon by Ayshah Ismail illustrated by Rizkia Gita

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Yep, another story about the moon, at least this one attempts humor and doesn’t completely neglect religion. So as I write this, I’m reminding myself that most folks don’t read as many Ramadan and Eid books as I do, and thus won’t be comparing or rolling their eyes at the familiar plot points. The book is for the younger crowd, as its premise is that it is too soon in the day to see if the moon is shining to indicate that Ramadan is over and Eid is here.  The little boy also doesn’t know what the crescent moon looks like, so Mama tells him it is like a smile and draws a curved line in the flour as she bakes.  With that, Khalid is off looking for the moon, and being told that it is too soon to see it whenever he mistakes something else for the moon, clearly not knowing what they mean by “too soon.”  I do like that Khalid and his Baba go to the mosque to pray, but I’m again wondering why everyone at the mosque praying maghrib does not look for the moon as a community.  There was a similar book I reviewed with the same exact premise and this same exact oversight, it also really stretched out the time window available to see the moon, which has me wondering if it is not the same for us all? I do like that the book comes full circle and he does find the moon in a funny place, spoiler, reflecting on the ground in a puddle.  I also like that there is a scannable QR Code for a free audiobook version and that it gets creative with not depicting faces.

The book starts with Khalid helping Mama bake baklava in the kitchen asking about the Eid moon.  Concluding that the sooner it is found, the sooner they can enjoy the treats and gifts, he is determined to find it.  The holiday lights outside obscure his view with Baba, so he heads up to his sister’s room for a better vantage point, but the cat’s collar reflecting is all he sees out the window, the glint of his aunt’s bowl back down in the kitchen also doesn’t help him find the moon, and they all keep telling him that it is “too soon.”

Baba and Khalid head to the mosque to pray, it is still too soon to see the moon, and when they are done, it is raining.  A sad Khalid sits dejected, but when the clouds part and the moon’s reflection hits the puddle, the joy of seeing the Eid moon finds the protagonist, and all is well.

The large 10 x 10 size makes the book suitable for bedtime or story time, and while it might have been better as a board book with a premise of a child not knowing what the moon looks like and where to find it. I found it more troubling that the rest of the family and masjid community didn’t take looking for the moon more serious.

Jan30

Ramadan for Everyone: A Muslim Community Story by Aya Khalil illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh

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Ramadan for Everyone: A Muslim Community Story by Aya Khalil illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh

This adorable 40 page book will be a great read to classrooms to see Ramadan in action from a little girl trying her best to fast and pray without internalized Islamophobia or info dumps cluttering a flimsy plot. The bright illustrations bring the story to life and will captivate preschool to early elementary readers and listeners.  The story shows the religion and leans into the concept of Taqwa as a reason for fasting, something to strive for, and prompting the little girl to give to her community.  There is a robust backmatter with sources, a glossary, two crafts, and information about Ramadan, taqwa, moon and stars, and being mindful.  It should be my favorite Ramadan book ever, with when we start fasting correct, adding a twist to the trope of a first fast, and centering Islam- unfortunately, the story tries to do a lot, too much in fact, resulting in the book missing the emotional element that makes Ramadan stories memorable and beloved.  I think the author’s style is also something subjective that I just don’t vibe with, so while I will provide rationale for my opinions as I continue my review, I am aware that fans of her previous books, will absolutely fight me on my thoughts, which I welcome. Even with my critiques, I’m glad I preordered the book and have spent time reading and sharing it.

The book starts with Habeeba’s kitchen busing with activity in the dark morning.  The first day of Ramadan has Baba and his two daughters eating and planning a month of fasting every day and praying taraweeh every night. Big sister Sumaya encourages Habeeba to come to the library at lunch time.  Once at school the teacher reads a Ramadan story, in the library, the librarian encourages Habeeba with stickers, and the two sisters look at books together.

Once back home though, chef Baba’s kunafa tempts Habeeba. Baba reminds her that fasting is to gain taqwa, “because we want to get closer to Allah.”  Habeeba starts to wonder what else she can do to gain taqwa, but the thought seems lost as she makes a special prayer, and breaks her fast early.

Later at the masjid, the little boy in front of Habeeba makes focusing on duaa hard, and when she is in sujood, she finds herself drifting off to sleep. Day after day she struggles with the temptations of delicious treats, and slipping off to sleep in the comforts of the masjid at night.

The last week of Ramadan, Habeeba breaks down to Sumaya who tells her she is doing great, and that remembering Allah “also means being mindful of their community.” Together they plan to participate in a service project to help the community and give back.  Before the end of the month, Habeeba fasts a whole day and with her family’s encouragement, hopeful that in time she will fast everyday and stay awake in prayer.

The first page did not set the tone as a polished read, I am terrible at grammar, but “like watermelon, pomegranates, and homemade muffins.” What foods are like watermelon and pomegranates, those are the foods on the table, so maybe “such as” or drop the comparison word all together and just say what is on the table and what we are seeing in the illustration. Throughout it felt like sentences were choppy, and when read aloud commas were missing. The diction also seemed off to me in describing taqwa, not wrong, just stilted and not relatable to the demographic as it is stated, but not really shown. Do six year olds understand mindfulness? It goes from fasting is to gain taqwa, because we want to get closer to Allah, to it being hard to concentrate and practice mindfulness, to “Remembering Allah during Ramadan also means being mindful to their community.”  The backmatter says “Taqwa is achieved by being mindful of Allah and remembering to do one’s best every day- especially during Ramadan.”  I feel like words and phrases are being used interchangeably and not in a way that connects dots of understanding for the reader.  A bit more on level articulation is needed.  And I know I don’t like exposition, but it needs smoothing out and clarity. A few signposts to tie back to the theme, with word choice that kids will understand.  They don’t need to be hit over the head that fasting and praying and charity is worship, but they should grasp that little Habeeba is pushing herself to keep trying day after day to gain taqwa.  Perhaps if Baba at the end would have been proud of her efforts to keep trying instead of saying, “I am most proud of you for sharing Ramadan with everyone.” The point of Ramadan and taqwa would have come through.  I realize it needed that line to make the title make sense, but honestly that is not what the book is about.  Only four pages address the community.  I have no idea why the first day Habeeba wonders about other ways to get closer to Allah swt, sidenote there is no attribution in the story or backmatter, and it is abandoned until the end of the book and the last week of the month.  It very easily could have been threaded in and would have fleshed out the title and the different aspects of Ramadan, growing closer to Allah, and finding ways to help the community.

I did love the school community, from the teacher to the librarian, it is delightful to see support from the larger community in our lives, and models how simple and easy it can be to create a safe and encouraging environment.  The relatability of the characters being so excited and ambitious the first day, going back to sleep after fajr, finding distraction annoying, and getting so tired during salat was also relatable.  To be seen in such familiar acts will bring smiles to readers and reassurance that we are all so very similar in so many ways.

I felt the star and moon motifs were overdone for no effect, what even are “moon and star charms?’ It seemed tropey and superficial, same with the goody bag and the beginning being a sign of babies and then lovingly embraced at the end.  If meant to show the sisters relationship coming full circle it missed the mark for me, as truthfully I didn’t find the sisters relationship to be a proper characterization of the story at all. Habeeba compares herself to Sumaya, wanting to be as good as her, but Sumaya is rather kind and just used as a foil. She spends time at the library with her, encourages her and helps her. It is not a sibling relationship focused story, and adding a crumb here and there, just seemed like the book didn’t know where it wanted to go.

Had the book not been checked by a named Shaykh who consulted on the story, I’d be a little more worried  about the messaging that we fast for taqwa and not that we fast because Allah swt commands it, and that when we do fast we foster that closeness to Allah.  I also found it odd that the backmatter says Ramadan is “set during the ninth month.” Ramadan is the ninth month.

The first reading or two will be joyful and fun, I have no doubt, few will read it as often as I did. I also doubt anyone will take the time to be this critical. But I do hope at the very least, if you have a little one trying to fast, you will not have tempting treats and desserts out every afternoon after school.  And that you did notice the one day she wasn’t home, Habeeba was able to complete her first fast.

Jan22

A Ramadan Night by Nadine Presley illustrated by Asma Enayeh

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A Ramadan Night by Nadine Presley illustrated by Asma Enayeh

 

This 40 page picture book balances prose and lyrical language with touchpoints that young children will recognize and relate to.  Using the senses of sound, sight, and smell, a young boy, Sami, seeks to understand what his father means by his remark, that it “feels like a Ramadan night,” as they head off for Taraweeh at the masjid.  The silliness of the little boy asking the moon, the sidewalk, the echoes, the carpet, and more personified inanimate objects, unearths a deeper more resonate layer of faith, community, and connection. The joy felt in Ramadan through acts of fasting all day, praying all night, giving charity, and being with others, is not easy to articulate. And this book not only takes you on a journey through Sami finding his answers, but with a little prodding, will urge Muslim children, and adults, to try and describe their own emotional attachment to the blessed month, while at the same time, also being a wonderful choice to share with non Muslims who often cannot understand that even children are genuinely excited for the worship in Ramadan, that is not yet required of them.  The bright engaging illustrations and the culminating universal climax of sweets, brings the occasionally overly flowery language back to a child’s level and grounds it.  Sami finds his answer as the night unfolds moving the story along and with the unapologetic Islamic centering of the religious month, I can’t wait for my physical preorder to arrive, so that I can share it with my community this Ramadan.  The book releases in a few days and I hope you too will preorder, or request from your library, to signal to the publisher that we want unapologetic Islamic representation, and will support the books that are well crafted, appealing, and Islam centered. 


Set in Syria, the book starts with Sami and his father sitting outside eating together, when Sami’s father says that it “feels like a Ramadan night.” Sami isn’t so sure, but his father isn’t about to offer a simple reply, and instead urges him as they head out the door to Taraweeh, to find his own answer.  So Sami asks the crescent moon, who tells him that, “Ramadan nights are lights.” Sami isn’t so sure, but but he sees the golden lanterns glittering, and faithful hearts shining and eyes twinkling as his foot steps make noise on the sidewalk. This has him ask the sidewalk next.  Where he is made aware of the eager steps, and celebrating streets full of hope. His own feet bring him closer to the masjid where echoes of laughter are heard.  The echoes, when asked, speak of peace, and so Sami’s journey continues through salat, playing outside, and delighting in sweets, before returning to his “hug of a home” and knowing in his heart what a Ramadan night feels like to him.



The heartfelt warmth, contentment, and love of Ramadan radiates through the book’s language and illustrations. The melding of story, with Islamic centering, and a little boys journey makes the book authentic and delightful, alhumdulillah. 

Jan10

Upside-Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh illustated by Nadina Issa

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Upside-Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh illustated by Nadina Issa

This 32 page picture book is beautifully illustrated and set in Ramadan with the premise being Teta can’t fast because of a new medication she is on, so Malak, who is also not fasting, and her are going to make makloubeh for iftar.  From there the story follows most food centered books with everyone adding their favorites until the iftar meal is one of a kind and brings the family together.  The Palestinian rep in the illustrations, and the mention of asr and maghrib salat, along with the refrain of “inshallah” and Arabic phrases threaded throughout make for a joyful read any time of the year. Unfortunately the first page was hard for me to get past.  Why is Mama staying “up late singing prayers in her closet” a sign for the little girl that it is Ramadan? Why is she singing prayers? Why is she in a closet? Alhumdulillah, the rest of the story was less awkward and I love that it highlights that sometimes ailments and medications make fasting not possible.  The messaging that every family is unique, just like makloubeh is relatable and easy for kids to grasp as well.  The backmatter contains a recipe, the dust jacket slips off to show a vertical filling of the pot with “everything Makloubeh” and the detailed illustrations will both introduce some kids to the popular dish, and celebrate a favorite familiar meal for others.

The book starts with the moon smiling her Cheshire cat smile and Ramadan beginning.  This is the first year that Teta is not fasting, and Malak decides she will have Teta teach her how to make iftar, but not just any iftar, upside down Makloubeh!

It starts out with Teta explaining the process and getting started, but then Jido comes in and wants eggplant added. Then khalo sneaks in to let them know that he likes potatoes in his. When Mama gets home from work with cauliflower, she is swept off to pray asr, and Malak decides she wants to add her favorite to the mix.

When Maghrib athan time comes, the big reveal, the flip, and then the first bites take place, revealing a “makloubeh with a little bit of everything.” A dish so yummy that Teta and Malak might be making iftar every night.

Dec13

Our Neighborhood: Radiant Ramadan by Marzieh Abbas illustrated by Anoosha Syed

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Our Neighborhood: Radiant Ramadan by Marzieh Abbas illustrated by Anoosha Syed

This adorable 26 page board book rounds out the Celebrating Islam representation in the Our Neighborhood Series and the simply rhyming words do an excellent job of conveying the joy, worship, togetherness, and daily aspects of the glorious month. Some of the lines feel a bit forced, but I really enjoyed the size and tone of the book. The illustrations are equally well done with a keffiyeh shown on a drummer, different skin tones on the characters, and smiles throughout. It is perhaps worth noting that the prayer page does seem to have the Shia rock that is used, I missed it initially thinking it was just a design on the prayer mat, but it is hard to unsee once it is pointed out. The other Islamic books in the series by the same author and illustrator are Friday Fun and Excited for Eid.

Oct29

Here’s Our Religion by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Dasril Iqbal Al Faruqi

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Here’s Our Religion by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Dasril Iqbal Al Faruqi

This HUGE 14 page board book is such an engaging, teachable, and shareable book for toddler to early elementary aged children.  Similar to the author’s First Words in the Qur’an I can see this book being shared at story times and in classrooms regularly.  Each two page spread is literally a board book in and of itself.  With headings of: Ummah, Shahadah/Qur’an, Salah, Ramadan, Zaqat/Sadaqa, Hajj, and Prophet Muhammad (saw)/ Sunnah, kids will be able to deduce from the pictures and simple captions how the details relate to the theme, learn new information, review what they already know, and delight in the illustrations.

I don’t know that I would sit down with a toddler or preschooler and just read the book straight through very often, but when I was doing multiple story times a week, I had planned books for every theme highlighted in this book. I would have loved to be able to pull it out after a few stories had been read and used it as a review, where I could point to a picture and the kids could holler out what the illustration was teaching.  The large size would have saved me from having to make story board pieces, and the critical thinking would encourage comprehension and retention.  Example: learning about salah, and then opening to the salah spread, kids could see the vacuuming child and decode that we pray in clean places, that the picture of four people praying together is to learn/remind/teach that it is better to pray together.