Category Archives: Toddler

Mar16

The Mighty Head of Moustafa by Rania Emara illustrated by Fruzsina Kuhari

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The Mighty Head of Moustafa by Rania Emara illustrated by Fruzsina Kuhari

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This fun new twist on “The House that Jack Built” uses the same style of building sentences on to a repeated story that the classic uses, as well as the silliness of it all, but is made unique with the Middle Eastern setting and cultural aspects.

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The 8.5 x 11 size gives ample room to see the fun engaging illustrations that bring the comical rhymes to life in both small to medium sized groups.  I won a digital version, and will probably end up purchasing a paperback copy for my bookshelf, as the pictures and text will be easier to pour over in physical form.

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The book is 22 pages of text and perfect for toddlers to listen to, on up to 2nd or 3rd graders to read on their own and still be entertained.  There is nothing religious about the book, the boy is named Moustafa obviously, and there is a girl whose veil is the climax of the story, but nothing in the text is religion specific.

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It all starts out with a tray on the mighty head of Moustafa.   Upon that tray is bread stacked and spread that goes with cake that was quick to bake, and before you know it, there is an aunty who rode a donkey next to a child with a veil, and then a nail, oh that tricky nail that caught the veil. . .

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Moustafa and his tray and everything along the way are all brought to a tumbling halt, all because of a nail. The crash and falling down undoes the entire build up, and the smiling face of Moustafa makes you want to read it all over again.

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Alhumdulillah!

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Feb17

Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan illustrated by Saffa Khan

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Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan illustrated by Saffa Khan

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This 40 page book of prose begins each stanza with “InshaAllah” and reads as a beautiful prayer from parent to child.  Each two page spread is filled with warm vibrant colors and illustrations that radiate love while complementing the slow pace the book is meant to be read with.D900B288-5527-4519-8EDF-EE830D3A464D

The book is clearly from an Islamic perspective, yet I think any religious family would find beauty in the book.  The author has a note on the title page that defines inshaAllah as meaning God willing in Arabic and explains how it is a common wish/prayer for people of other cultures and faiths as well.  She also explains that that each line is inspired by the Quran, but universal for people everywhere.

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Some of my favorites are:”InshaAllah you seek knowledge, reflect, and read, InshaAllah you speak truth and work for its sake. InshaAllah you have faith that won’t waiver or bend. InshaAllah you are kind to those most in need.”

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The illustrations show a family that at times wears hijab and at others does not.  It shows multiple generations, and diverse characters in terms of skin color and mobility.  The illustrations at first weren’t my favorite, but they definitely grow on you.

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Over all the story reads like a lullaby, and is soft and sweet at bedtime particularly.  The 10 x 10 size would make it work well in groups as well, and I could see it used to lull kids to sleep at nap time with great success for the youngest baby to early elementary.

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Jan6

My Grandfather’s Masbaha by Susan Daniel Fayad illustrated by Avery Liell-Kok

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My Grandfather’s Masbaha by Susan Daniel Fayad illustrated by Avery Liell-Kok

masbaha.jpgThis 20 page story is endearing and sweet for children aged 4 and up, with a great lesson.   At first I thought it was an Islamic fiction book, but after thinking about it, I’m not so sure.  Lots of faiths use prayer beads, although maybe only Muslims have 33, and the setting, Lebanon, is a pretty diverse place.  Regardless, the character’s names, and the lessons taught are universal and children will benefit from being reminded about how blessed they truly are, in a gentle loving way.

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When little Adam’s friends go home and he has nothing to do, he enters his grandparents house stomping and complaining.  In response, Adam’s Jidoo, grandfather, starts to laugh.  This only makes Adam more angry.

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Jidoo Yousef then shows Adam his misbaha and explains that some people use it like an abacus to count, to mark prayers, some use it as decor, and that he uses it to remember God’s blessings.

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He and Adam, then go around and count all the blessings of toys, and people, and friends, and family, and food, and before Adam knows it, he is feeling blessed and thankful.

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The basic illustrations show the bond between Jidoo and Adam, but are nothing overly fabulous on the large 8.5 x 11 pages.  There is a lot of text on some of the pages, but it flows well and goes quickly.

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The book teaches a great lesson and if you get a chance to read it to your children, you definitely should.

Dec9

I Say Bismillah by Noon H. Dee Iput translated by Shera Diva Sihbudi

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I Say Bismillah by Noon H. Dee Iput translated by Shera Diva Sihbudi

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Another adorable board book teaching the concept of saying Bismillah to the littlest Muslims. The illustrations are really sweet, and the text large and playful on their 5.5 square pages.  The story is simple, but because there is a story, and the word repeated, it does just what it intends to do and shows Bismillah being said before you start something.  It is worth noting though, that it never articulates why you say it.

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In this 20 page story brother and sister, Nabil and Noura are about to eat some yummy cupcakes.  Noura forgets to say Bismillah and her brother Nabil reminds her.  They both say Bismillah and then Noura says it before she drinks her milk.  Proud of herself for remembering, Nabil praises her as well, and they both head off to play after saying Bismillah again.

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I like that the siblings encourage each other and no one gets in “trouble” for not saying it, but rather they are gentle in their approach and it comes not from a parent or authority figure but from one another.

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There are a few “games” sprinkled in on two of the pages: say the colors of the cupcakes, count the cups.  There is also the word Bismillah written in Arabic at the end along with the English transliteration, English meaning and two questions: can you say Bismillah, and when do you say it, to verify comprehension.

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Thanks once again to Crescent Moon Store (www.crescentmoonstore.com) for their fast and friendly service and great prices.  There are four books in the series and they carry them all.

Nov25

The ABC of Allah Loves Me by Learning Roots

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The ABC of Allah Loves Me by Learning Roots

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You really wouldn’t think there is much to review in an alphabet board book, but this particular one tries to do more than just pluck a random Islamic word or concept for each of the 26 English letters.  It attempts to give each of the letters one of Allah (swt)’s beautiful names explained in English, but written in Arabic too.

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Each 5 x 10 page features a four line description in a rhyming format to flesh out the highlighted word or phrase.

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Some letter to corresponding Asma al Husna are spot on, but some are a little more of a stretch and some don’t even seem to try.  Overall though it is well-done and delightful.

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The people illustrated don’t have visible eyes, but many have smiles, noses, or closed eyes.  They are bright and warm and engaging.  The binding and thickness of the pages is sturdy.

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Perhaps my favorite part of the book is that the while the rhyming is forced, as is nearly always the case in these type of books, the diction stays on level.  Little kids will understand the words used and emerging readers will be able to sound out and read many on their own as well.

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A great book for your toddler to preschool collection and a reasonably priced book from Crescent Moon Store http://www.crescentmoonstore.com.

Nov4

Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! A Palestinian Folktale retold by Margaret Read MacDonald illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian

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Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! A Palestinian Folktale retold by Margaret Read MacDonald illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian

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This delightful little folktale is beautifully presented in 32 pages on an AR 1.7 level.  Perfect for little ones to listen to and early readers to tackle on their own.  The pictures are fun and engaging and the story teaches a great lesson of right and wrong in a silly memorable fashion.

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A childless woman asks Allah to bless her with a child, even if it is just a cooking pot, and “Willa! She had a child! And it was a little pot!”

At first taken aback, the little pot professes her love for mama and thus the woman decides to take care of the little pot.  Every day the little pot bumps against the walls as she rolls and jumps around making the sound, Tunjur.

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One day the pot wants to go to the market by herself.  Mama refuses as she is too young and doesn’t know right from wrong, but alas she talks her mom in to it, and off she goes.

She meets a rich man who wants to fill her with honey for his wife.  The pot loves honey so she doesn’t protest, but she refuses to release her lid when the man gifts the pot to his wife.  Angrily he throws the pot out the window and the little pot finds her way home. Mama assumes the honey seller sent it as a gift and little pot says nothing at all.

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The next time little pot heads out she finds herself filled with the queen’s jewels and when she returns Mama is not happy that her little pot has taken things that do not belong to her.

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When little pot heads out again to apologize, the rich man takes her to the king and queen for a reward,  and they fill her with something to teach her a lesson.  When she comes home to Mama, she has definitely learned her lesson.

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The women in the story seem to wear hijab, most notably the wealthy man’s wife.   The Mama asks Allah swt for a child, but other than that there is nothing religious in nature in the book and seeing as I checked it out from the public library, I think it appeals to all kids.

 

Sep23

An Ocean in One Drop: The Tale of Hajar in Hajj by Mariam Hakim illustrated by Layla Abdubaisi & Hameedah Hamadah

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An Ocean in One Drop: The Tale of Hajar in Hajj by Mariam Hakim illustrated by Layla Abdubaisi & Hameedah Hamadah

IMG_7027A story about Hajar (saa), about Zamzam, about Hajj, and how we are all connected through our faith in Allah.  In 32 water color adorned pages, the rhyming couplets tell a well-known historical story for children of all ages, with Hajar front and center.

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The book is framed with a young girl, Jamila sitting with her grandmother who has just returned from Hajj.  She is giving Jamila some Zamzam water as she tells her the story of Hajar, and how at the heart of our Hajj we honor and follow in Hajar’s footsteps.

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Left in the desert with her son Is’mail (as) she runs between two hills, Safa and Marwa looking for water and help. This step of Hajj, Sa’ee, is required by all pilgrims to perform as Hajar did. Grandma explains to Jamila, that after praying to Allah (swt) and after the seventh run, water appeared and still flows today, Zamzam.

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Jamila learns from her grandma the value of the water, and the power trusting Allah has in our lives.  She also learns how the well attracted people and is now the  city of Makkah.  “You see the sacred Sa’ee has many lessons within: Courage, patience, faith and love.” the grandmother tells Jamila before quoting Rumi and liking the desert water to an ocean of history.

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The book contains a two page Glossary of names and terms at the end as well as information about the author and illustrators.  As expected there is also an ayat regarding Prophet Ibrahim and his family from the Quran at the end, and somewhat surprisingly, Bible verses about Hagar.

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I’m not sure that the link to Rumi’s quote and hence the title of the book is smooth, it seems a bit forced.  Also, I’m not sure why the Bible verse and the Bible entry appearing in the Glossary is present.  It seems like an Islamic story for readers of all faiths to know what Muslim’s believe, so I’m confused why the interfaith angle at the end is there.  Perhaps, if there was an explanation or an Author’s Note or a tie-in to the story, but without any of that, it seems inconsistent and random.

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As far as the illustrations on the 8.5 x 11 thick soft bound pages are concerned, they are rather mediocre.  The anime’ style people, the texture, shimmery bits, and the flowing deserts, make me feel like I should love them, and there is truly nothing wrong with them,  I just wasn’t overly wowed by them.  I actually found the illustrations off for the story at hand.  I’m  certain everyone will disagree with me, and some really are gorgeous, but overall I found them collectively, to be just ok.

 

 

Sep16

Bedtime Sunnahs Emaulating the Prophet one night at a time by Alia G. Dada illustrated by Robin Boyer

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Bedtime Sunnahs Emaulating the Prophet one night at a time by Alia G. Dada illustrated by Robin Boyer

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A beautiful rhyming 11 page story for toddlers and up to learn parts of the Prophetic routine for bedtime.  Yes, 11 pages, the book in total is 28 pages, six are Appendixes, one is about the author, one is a dedication, and the rest are blank or title pages.  For a $15 book, I’m a little disappointed, which is unfortunate because the illustrations and information on those 11 pages is great.  The references are informative and important to see what Hadith the Sunnahs come from, but I think the story itself could have, and should have, been longer.

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Each page has a different family getting ready for bed and doing various acts.  I love that moms and dads are involved in bedtime routines. The illustrations show diversity and the text is simple, flowing, rhyming and straight forward.

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From brushing teeth to reciting Athkar, making duas to Allah and laying on our right side, each page has wonderful detail in the warm full color pages.  I love the decorations on the bedroom walls, signs with Allah’s name, statements saying “Strong like Zainab, Brave like Fatima, Smart like Khadija”, as well as “Smile! it’s Sunnah!”.

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The book is for Muslim children obviously, and makes getting ready for bed seem like a fun and bonding event.

The first Appendix is a Parents Notes on what the purpose of the book is and the second one is Islamic Terminology.  From the their Appendixes address the Ahadeeth about sleeping in a state of Wudu and on your right side, bedtime Atkhar, and reciting the three Quls,  I wish it would have including the Quls, seeming as the book is meant to provide information for caregivers to convey to a child, and many households may have non Muslims or new reverts in that role.

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The remaining two reference pages are Additional Sunnahs for Advanced Children which include Reciting Ayah al Kursi, the last two verses of Surah al Baqarah, the dua before bed and when waking in the morning.  The dua texts are given, the Ayats are not. There is then a final page about the author.

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The hardbound glossy cover and thick inside pages are well done in this 8×8 perfect sized book for bedtime, I just wish there was more of it.

 

 

Sep6

Bismillah Little Leyla by Qura Abid illustrated by Mona Ismail

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Bismillah Little Leyla by Qura Abid illustrated by Mona Ismail

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I thought this book might be leveled- reader type based on the binding and page numbers (26), but it reads more like a picture book with its repetitive refrain, and honestly the awkward small size (5×8) makes it feel like a pamphlet.  So, I’m not sure who it is trying to appeal to, and unfortunately is a great example of how the outward presentation killed an otherwise decent book.  I also don’t know who is to blame for the final physical product, the author, the publisher, the printer? But at a $10 price point, I’m not sure anyone who purchases this book is going to be happy with the size and binding, and the book will simply get lost on a book shelf, and be forgotten.

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The premise of the book is good.  Rather than just tell kids to say Bismillah before they do anything, Little Leyla actually does it in the course of a morning.  I like that it shows that we say Bismillah before we do all types of things, not just before we eat or get in a car, but even when we swing and play a game or put on a jacket.

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The climax of the book is Leyla saying bismillah, shooting a goal and scoring against her dad.  The lesson being that Allah is always there to help us.

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I’ve read the book a dozen times, to myself and aloud, and I think the book has a natural cadence based on the diction and sentence length, and I think it wants to rhyme.  Additionally, after each example and on nearly every page, the refrain at the end of the paragraph is (nearly) the same:  “What must she say? Leyla knows! Do you? It’s Bismillah!”  The repetition makes it memorable, but with the sing song beat and on and off, often forced, rhyme, I find myself tripping over the words a lot, and I cant quite put my finger on why.  If the book were larger, and I were using it for a preschool story time, I would just have to practice it a few times, but there is no way, sadly,  you could read this book to a group if you want them to see the pictures.

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The illustrations might be ok, it might also be a presentation thing that makes them look washed out OR maybe that is how they are, I’m not sure. The detail and expressions are there, they just kinda seem faded.   Concept wise I like that they show the dad cooking and Mom playing soccer. The mom wears hijab she the family seems warm and happy.

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Thanks again to crescentmoonbooks.com for the excellent customer service and selection.

 

 

 

Sep3

Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

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Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

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I had really wanted to love this book about a young Pakistani girl living outside of Pakistan learning to love all her different parts.  Unfortunately, the book was so scattered that no point was made, no message conveyed, and sadly, no excitement at being represented in literature really felt, .

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This 32 page book isn’t bad, it just really isn’t memorable.  It starts out with Leila arriving at her Naani’s house for dinner as her parents and her do every Friday.  Her maternal grandmother comments that she likes Leila’s saffron buttons.  Leila beams at this because she doesn’t know that she always likes being herself.

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Tonight, they are joined by lots of extended family and Leila is on the lookout for parts of herself that she likes.  She feels safe with her family, and likes being told she looks like her aunt when she smiles.

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The book then kind of abandons the theme of finding parts of oneself to like, and moves on to cultural trinkets to enjoy.  She identifies camels on shelves and Arabic books too, and can’t wait to go on her first trip to Pakistan someday to get her own “Arabic books” and “special ornaments.”  I’m not sure why they books aren’t in Urdu, but none-the-less without any written connection to Islam, they are in Arabic, thus giving, erroneously, the reader the impression that is the language of Pakistan.

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Leila then helps her Naani cook which almost seems like an additional theme of the book: the passing on of traditions.  The book doesn’t really stay here though either, and has Leila running outside to get cilantro from the neighbor Miguel.  Possibly another theme in addressing multicultural neighbors or just how to be a good neighbor, is now being brought up, but nope, the book bounces back to dinner with the family.

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When it is time to leave, Naani invites Leila upstairs while her parents wait to leave.  Here she goes through fabric and scarves rich in color and textures and likens them to ethnic foods.  She then tries on her favorite one, but acts like she has never tried it on before or seen it before, I’m really not sure, the language is a bit awkward to me.  Anyway she opens her eyes in a surprise and likes what she sees, she likes her self, all her parts.

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I wish this book for preschool and kindergarteners, would have streamlined the message it wanted to convey most.  I like finding pieces of yourself and liking the completed you, but I don’t know what the pieces really are in the book.  Yes I could assume and figure it out, but I’m not 5 years old.  The book should have articulated it clearly.  Or if the book wanted to celebrate culture and family traditions, it should have stuck to that.  It really seems all over the place no matter how many times I read it.

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The illustrations are rich and vibrant.  They definitely give a lot to look at and the expressions on the characters faces will probably make the little ones giggle.  There are a few Urdu and Arabic words used in the story that are defined on the back cover.

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The characters aren’t identified as Muslim, none of them wear hijab, but they say Salam and have Arabic books, so one can assume. I picked up the book at the library and don’t regret it, but I probably wouldn’t buy it or unfortunately, check it out again.