Category Archives: Toddler

Oct20

Sameer and Snazzy: Kindness Counts by Emma L. Halim illustrated by Herry Prihamdni

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Sameer and Snazzy: Kindness Counts by Emma L. Halim illustrated by Herry Prihamdni

The 32 page faceless picture book for toddlers and up, is set in Australia and follows Sameer and his cat Snazzy on a bushwalk.  At first I felt like it might be a little bit like the classic, “And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street,” but the structured story with a repetitive refrain adds in Islamic phrases, silly encounters, and examples of kindness that make it unique.  Add in a fun surprise at the end, and like many other books by the author, be prepared to have it memorized as your little ones ask for it over and over again.

The book starts with Sameer look forward to his grandpa coming to visit, but wishing he had something exciting to share with him.  Snazzy suggests he shares that he can talk to animals, but Sameer knows no one would ever believe that, so the two set off on a bushwalk to find something exciting.

When they hear an “A-choooooo!” in the trees, the fun is just getting started with Miss Koala sneezing and making eucalyptus leaves fall. The duo finds a way to help, but the fallen leaves mean ants are stuck in their home and can’t get out.  Once again, Sameer and Snazzy, find a way to help.  After each episode the refrain of, “‘Imagine if I told Grandpa this!”‘ I say to Snazzy.  ‘He’d never believe you! he smiles.  ‘NO-ONE WOULD!’ We laugh together and continue along the path, when suddenly…”

The book ends with a surprise, that I won’t spoil. The backmatter has a reference to Surah An-Naml and explains that Prophet Sulayman peace be upon him, really could speak to animals.  There is also a glossary of the Islamic phrases and a QR code to continue to the fun after the story ends.

The book is a bit more text heavy than some of her others, but the illustrations are fun, and will keep kid’s attention.  It does not rhyme, but has a cadence that makes reading it aloud easy. The small size makes the book better suited to bed time, but could work in a story time, and would be wonderful tuned into a story board/felt board read aloud.  The book is a universal story, but at some point in Islamic fiction self published and small published books, I think we will need to have open dialogue and discussions if having characters that are not the same race as the author or illustrator is appropriate and beneficial, or is misleading and better to avoid.

***EDIT: The author reached out to me asking me to remove this generalized opinion of me calling upon the need to have discussion, I opted to amend, as I think we need to have conversation and believe intention and purpose in whatever one decides is a benefit.  So, to avoid errors in interpreting her ask, I will simply post the screen shots, and my response.  Please note I did not tag the author in my Instagram post, she reached out to me.  I purchased the book, it was not gifted.

Oct9

Steet Puppy, Masjid Cat by Moniza Hossain illustrated by Wastana Haikal

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Steet Puppy, Masjid Cat by Moniza Hossain illustrated by Wastana Haikal

I was a little nervous opening the book, I didn’t know if it was going to be a “Lady and the Tramp” type retelling, and I was unsure how dogs would be presented, but I sure was not prepared for the absolute adorableness that unfolded.  The simple rhyming lines contrasting the street puppy’s life to that of the pampered cat in the masjid, to their meeting, and the sweet imam leading with kindness warmed my heart.  The real chef’s kiss is the backmatter that doesn’t source, but references the sunnah of “acts of charity to every beast alive,” and notes that dogs, unlike cats, are not allowed in the mosque for religious reasons.  I love that “masjid” is in the title, that the author’s note and glossary explain adhan, imam, and the Quran, and ultimately that friendship amongst differences is the takeaway for all readers.  I don’t love that the adhan in the text is described as ringing and the imam as singing, but I acknowledge my pickiness.  And while I love that Prophet Muhammad saw is mentioned in the author’s note, I do wish salutations were given afterward.  The illustrations on every one of the 32 pages are delightful, and I love that the image on the jacket is different than the one on the book itself.  For ages 3 and up, and even emerging readers, this book has a lot of heart, and my 6 year old has read it aloud so many times, I just might have it memorized.

The book starts with simple rhyming lines showing the contrasting life of the cat and the dog, from their daily activities, to how other’s treat them.  When they meet, the cat is not too welcoming, but the imam shows the puppy kindness and the cat follows suit.  As simple as sharing and giving each other a chance, creates a friendship between the two animals, and a beautiful conclusion even the littlest children will understand.

The book is not didactic, and the role of the imam and setting of the masjid, for Muslim kids will be such a spark of joy, but in no way will it limit non Muslim children from connecting with the story.  The benefit for all is seeing a masjid environment and a Muslim in action, normalizing both, and inshaAllah reminding us all to be a little kinder to our animal friends.

Sep4

Dark Nights and Light Hearts: A Muslim Book of Opposites by Hena Khan illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

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Dark Nights and Light Hearts: A Muslim Book of Opposites by Hena Khan illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

Every few years, for the last 13 or so, we get a new title in this series, and each one warms my cynical heart with its unapologetic Islamic representation and vibrancy.  The heartfelt rhyming lines, the Islam centering, and the enveloping illustration make these books timeless, sought after, and beloved.  This installment covers opposites, previous books in the series focused on colors, shapes, and numbers. From the BIG ummah to a SMALL baby’s aqiqah, HOT oud to COLD rain bringing barakah, SLOW honey full of shifa to FAST cars heading to Jummah, the book uses two page spreads per each term in the opposite pair with rhyming couplets in large clear font to introduce/remind, describe, and highlight an Islamic tradition.  As both opposites and Islam are conveyed, the cadence and illustrations pull Muslim and non Muslim children in and make the book delightful at storytime, in small groups, at bedtime, and for kids to look through on their own, over and over again.  Alhumdulillah.

The book is 36 pages with a Glossary of Islamic words at the end with an Author’s Note.  It is available wherever books are sold and a great reminder that well done Islamic books can make it from traditional publishers.

 

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.

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.

Mar10

My First Book about Charity: teachings for Toddlers and Young Children by Sara Khan illustrated by Ali Lodge

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My First Book about Charity: teachings for Toddlers and Young Children by Sara Khan illustrated by Ali Lodge

The newest board book in the My First Book series is a gentle and wonderful introduction to charity, both sadaqah and zakat. Sourced with ayats from the Quran, there is also backmatter that has Facts about Charity and Questions and Answers. I’m always amazed at how much information the series consistently contains in the 26 pages for our littlest Muslims.  With soft illustrations and smiling joyful faces, each page radiates warmth, information and simplicity in a way that grows with toddlers, to preschoolers, to early elementary aged readers, alhumdulillah.

The book starts with affirming that Allah has given us more blessings than we can count, and some of us have more than others.  To help those that have less, Allah wants us to give charity.  The book briefly explains that Zakat is one of the pillars that is required, and sadaqah is an extra reward that is not just money.

It talks about the sunnah of giving charity, and numerous ways that kindness can be carried out.  It shows respect and helping and concludes with Allah’s names of All-Knowing and All-Hearing before the final supplemental spread.

I don’t know how many books are planned for the series, but I love looking at them all lined up.  I share them with my own children and now that there are accompanying puzzles and a boxed set, I’m positive I’ll continue gifting them, not just to new parents as I’ve done in the past, but to toddler and preschoolers as well.

Mar8

Can You Find My Eid Presents? By A.M. Dassu illustrated by Junissa Bianda

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Can You Find My Eid Presents? By A.M. Dassu illustrated by Junissa Bianda

This brightly illustrated Eid book has cute illustrations, but is very basic.  There is very little about Eid, in fact I have no idea if it is supposed to be Eid al Fitr or Eid al Adha. The girl is outside when it gets dark and no mention of iftar is made, but there is no crescent moon for Eid al Adha as there is one prominently seen in the illustration, so any insight into the matter would be great.  The book is just a little girl running around looking for the missing Eid presents.  It doesn’t talk about traditions or faith, Hana is literally just moving from location to location to look under the bed, in the wardrobe, the broom cupboard, the bathroom, the garbage, outside, in the shed. So yes, yet another Eid book with no Islam, no heart, no explaining why finding presents makes this the “best Eid ever!” Sigh. Truly it could be, Can you find my birthday presents or Christmas presents, and nothing in the story would have to change.

The book starts the evening before Eid, and Mummy and Hana are laying the table, and admiring the Eid decorations.  Mummy has a lot still to do and asks Hana to help by getting the Eid presents to Nani’s house for the party.  Only problem is that Hana can’t find them.

She looks everywhere, inside and out, and when Daddy comes home he is too busy to help.  He shoos her off to Nani’s next door, where the mystery is solved and the next morning when the presents are opened everyone is happy.

I wish there was some emotion, maybe whatever was in the little blue box for her Nani had her excited, and when it goes missing she is anxious.  Even to mention that they go open presents after Eid prayers seems like a natural inclusion, but alas, there is no emotion, no Islam, and no real point of the book.

Mar5

Ibraheem’s Perfect Eid by Farhana Islam illustrated by Nabila Adani

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Ibraheem’s Perfect Eid by Farhana Islam illustrated by Nabila Adani

Gorgeous illustrations, joyful Islam, and a sweet story about a little boy realizing there is more to Eid than presents. The protagonists voice is really on point and a great way to counter so many of the books, and real life antics of kids equating Eid to being about gifts. This 23 page picture book for 3-6 year olds, works for both Eid al Fitr or Eid al Adha, and follows little Ibraheem as he searches for his gifts throughout his sunnah and love filled Eid day at home and at the mosque.  I love that it shows him getting drawn into the khutba, doing takbir, ruku and sajood, eating dates before going, and taking a different path on the way home.  It doesn’t have any backmatter, but if reading it to a child, I would hope the little details in the text and illustrations would be discussed. It took me a few readings to be ok with how Ibraheem discusses his gift order with Allah swt, but I think for little kids and with the consistent tone of the book, it makes it relatable.  I also don’t know why his mom and rest of the family do not go for Eid prayers. Other females are shown at the mosque in the background, and people of various ages and mobility, but alas it is just Ibraheem and his Baba at salah, and a house full of love and family the rest of the day.

The book starts with an illustration of Ibraheem hanging up his “Eid Sunnahs” chart next to his “Dear Allah” swt list of gifts that he wants. The text then starts with it being Eid day and Ibraheem looking in all the usual places for his presents, but comes up empty. He wonders if his parents forgot, if Allah forgot, but he knows that would never happen. Luckily Baba and he are off to the mosque for prayers, maybe, he thinks, the presents are there.

As the father and son walk to the mosque they greet others, and then settle in for the “Eid day stories.” I don’t love that the khutbah is referred to as such, but that is probably just me. When the iqamah is called, it is time to pray and Ibraheem copies his Baba before they make their way into “the sea of smiling faces.”

Back at home it is time to enjoy food, games, fun, and cuddles with a bustling house.  Presents still haven’t been found, but the day has been perfect, and presents can always be opened tomorrow.

I love that this is a traditionally published book, that centers Islam on Eid and radiates with joy.  The large size makes it easy to share in all settings, and the illustrations beg to be explored and appreciated.

Feb28

Momo & Bronty’s First Book About Allah by Zanib Mian illustrated by Laila Ramadhani

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Momo & Bronty’s First Book About Allah by Zanib Mian illustrated by Laila Ramadhani

The short simple texts spread out over 14 thick pages talking about Allah swt is a great addition for our littlest believers.  Accompanied by engaging adorable illustrations, this book offers a great way to encourage kids to think, talk, and center Allah swt.  It isn’t just a list of all Allah swt created, it dedicates a spread to that, but then builds on it by sharing that He wasn’t born, He is one, He loves us, and that is why we worship Him and do what He has asked, so that we can one day see Allah swt in Jannah, inshaAllah.

The illustrations on every spread burst with joy and make it fun for older preschool and kindergarteners.  I love that it clearly states that “We do the things He asked us to.  And don’t do the things He said not to.”  I don’t recall ever seeing this articulated in a child’s book, and the simplicity is powerful.  Anyone that has kids, know they have a lot of questions about Allah swt and this book is a great start to cultivating the love and connection between child and creator.

I purchased my copy from Crescent Moon and if you use my initials at checkout (ISL) you will save 10%

Feb18

What Shape is Your Mosque? By Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Zeynep Begüm Şen, Ayşenur Kazan, Hümeyra Yograncı, Hatice Leyla Arslanbenzer, Gökhan Özdemir, Özlem Güneş, Rumeysa T. Karaca, Şüheda Başer Yılgör, Aybüke B. Aslanoğlu, M. Ahmet Demir, Fatma Betul Akbal

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What Shape is Your Mosque? By Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Zeynep Begüm Şen, Ayşenur Kazan, Hümeyra Yograncı, Hatice Leyla Arslanbenzer, Gökhan Özdemir, Özlem Güneş, Rumeysa T. Karaca, Şüheda Başer Yılgör, Aybüke B. Aslanoğlu, M. Ahmet Demir, Fatma Betul Akbal

Framed the same as the author’s book entitled What Color is Your Mosque? The readers are taken all over the world to see masjids in a variety of shapes: conical, spiral, oblong, flower, boat shaped and more.  Each two page spread has a child introducing themselves, where they are from, the name of the mosque and some bits of information to engage the reader.  It isn’t a literary masterpiece, but I don’t think it attempts to be.  It is a fun informative book to show children the diversity of architecture, the universal practice of Islam, and be motivated by the prompt at the end to ponder how they might design their own masjid. I particularly like that the author points out that the first mosque she ever prayed in was a converted house.  This book is great in small groups and story times, where the pictures can be looked at, and lends itself to further research of looking up pictures of the mosque’s included, building mosques with blocks or legos, or paired with a similarly inspired craft.

The book starts with a note to parents, some hadith, a dedication, and then the author, Jenny introducing herself to the reader, and starting the journey.  The book shares mosques in Kuwait, Qatar, Indonesia, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, China. Each spread is illustrated by a different artist, but all are beautifully done.

I found the pages smile inducing, as I Googled to see real photographs of the mosques mentioned.  One of my favorites was the Rijeka Mosque in Croatia that was designed by a sculpture and changes shapes depending on the vantage point.  And I was shocked I had never seen or heard, or somehow noticed, the Kashti Wali Masjid in Karachi, Pakistan.  I masjid that is boat shaped and very near to my familys’ homes.  

I purchased my copy from Crescent Moon and if you use code ISL (my initials) at checkout you can save 10% on your entire order.