I understand and appreciate that every time a series of holiday books come out Ramadan is bound to be included, but this 2021, 24 page kindergarten geared nonfiction book really offers nothing new. In fact, while the realistic photographs on each two page spread are nice, I take issue with the page that says, “In A.D. 609 the prophet Muhammad began writing a book. The Quran is God’s word to Muslims.” First of all, Prophet Muhammad (capitalize the P please), didn’t write the book and the Quran is for all people.
The book starts out welcoming Ramadan and showing a child in sajud, without explanaition, I wonder and worry how a non Muslim child woud understand this act. Would they take it as an act of worship? Not sure.
The next page mentions Ramadan as a time of prayer and thinking of others before explaining that it is the ninth month of the Muslim year and starts with the new moon.
It then details that lanterns are set out and hung in windows by many, but doesn’t tell why or hint at cultural reasoning. The problamatic page follows, and then it shows an older man reading Quran and says that some repeat the whole Quran during the blessed month.
I like that it mentions that from sunrise to sunset people do not eat or drink and that they try to be calm. At night people eat dates and drink water and share a meal called iftar.
There are then pictures of Ramadan, a lantern, iftar, dates and Quran, before a page of vocabulary, further reading suggestions and an index conclude the book. The definition for prophet, seemed a little off for me, “someone who speaks for God.” Why not say someone who spreads God’s message?
I wouldn’t encourage this book be shared with little ones, or in interfaith, like I said, there are much better fiction and nonfiction books about Ramadan for this age level.
I am confident that every Muslim child has imagined their prayer rug at one time or another to be a flying carpet, so how absolutely heart filling as an adult to find a book that embraces this idea, roots it in Islamic fact and presents it so beautifully for our littlest Muslim believers.
Islamic School Librarian 