Category Archives: Toddler

May21

Birthday Kunafa by Rifk Ebeid illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

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Birthday Kunafa by Rifk Ebeid illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

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This 50 page wordless picture book allows readers to make up their own words to describe the progression of what is shown in the illustrations. With no right or wrong, the backmatter helps give context and points out key images that allow the story to resonate on multiple levels.  On the surface it is a birthday girl who is upset she cannot have kunafa, but when you truly look at the pictures, and see what is preventing her from moving from Jerusalem to Nablus, the reader is shown, she is not just a child wanting something she can’t have, but that she is being denied basic rights by an occupying force.  I love that the little girl represents so much more than just herself, and that her determination to cross checkpoints, is not just about acquiring dessert.  The book starts with a little girl on her birthday that could represent a little girl with her friends and family anywhere, but as the pages are turned you witness how beautiful Palestinian joy is, how much we take for granted the freedom to move, and how desperately we need to stand up for a free Palestine.  With no words, Islamic representation is limited to two hijabis in the illustrations.  The author and illustrator are Muslim. The book centers a birthday, there is dancing dabkah and an oud shown leaning up against a wall.

So often when thinking about Palestine, not just since October, we all find ourselves speechless.  There are no words, only tears when watching the news, reading headlines, or scrolling, and I find it incredibly timely for a wordless picture book about Palestine to be published.  There are a few labels so to speak throughout the book that I didn’t particularly find necessary, but they do not distract from the story, so they didn’t bother me.  I like that the book showed restraint in terms of the oppression that could have been shown.  It allows for the story of the little girl and her family to maintain the narrative.

The story that I understood the images to be telling is that it is a little girl’s birthday, the family is having a party, they have a birthday cake, but she wants kunafa, she tries to get some and along the way sees joy everywhere, until the checkpoints turn the images gray, and prevent her from moving forward.  So mama and her problem solve, they try and make their own, but it is not the same, so they devise a plan, and they try again.  They do not give up. There is no giving up.

The backmatter provides a recipe for kunafa, a two page spread about “Why Wordless Picture Books,” another spread about “Context Matters” giving information about Zionism and Palestinian resistance.  It is then followed by four pages entitled “Did You See?” where symbols are shown that appear in the pages and described.  Warning there are numerous sweet and savory foods shown, and it will make you very hungry.

The book is available here from Crescent Moon or here from Amazon.

May13

Allah Made Me Beautiful by Layla Izruna illustrated by Laila Radhani

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Allah Made Me Beautiful by Layla Izruna illustrated by Laila Radhani

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This 6×6 board book is 18 pages of affirming and celebrating that no matter what we look like, “the Best of Shapers, shaped us all.” The little size, the rhyming lines, the repetition of the phrase “Allah made me beautiful” on the right page of each spread, is what you would expect from a board book meant for newborns and up.  The rhyme and cadence levels out after the first page, and makes for a sweet easy read.  The mirror on the last page with a hadith in English and Arabic is particularly nice.  The illustrations and text are intentionally diverse and inclusive and with the Islamic centering the book is good for starting discussions as well.

The book is no literary masterpiece, but sometimes it doesn’t need to be, to be a staple read on repeat to our little believers.  This book dives right in on the first page, there are no copyright or dedications that have to be flipped through.  It is numerous pages of examples of how Allah swt made us all different: straight hair, curly hair, twins, larger body size, skin color, mobility, freckles, glasses etc. The end spread, before the mirror, is the conclusion that our “looks have been perfected by Him, tying it all together.

The illustrations are engaging, and simple, but detailed enough to foster dialogue if desired and while the small size would make using it at story time impossible, I think little hands and little hearts will benefit from knowing that we are different, but just as Allah swt intended us to look.

The book is available from the publisher Prolance directly, or here on Amazon 

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May10

Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt! by Rukhsana Khan illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

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Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt! by Rukhsana Khan illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

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This adorable 32 page book is noisy and colorful and forces you to smile.  Granted I had dreams as a child of being a rickshaw driver, and even as a teen my father tried to arrange for me to take one for a spin early one hot Karachi morning, but alas, my dreams never came to fruition.  Cue the power of books, to take you right back to those busy streets, boisterous noises, colorful vehicles, and happy memories.  Even if you have never ridden in a rickshaw, or heard of one, this book is a fun adventure for toddlers and up as they catch a ride with Ibraheem, his Baba, his cat Mitu, and learn the language of the road and how to make room for everyone.  “Big and small, short and tall, everyone shares the road.” The book is by a Muslim author, and their are visible Muslim women with their heads covered in the illustrations.  There is nothing religion, country, or city specific in the text. 

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The book starts with Ibraheem and Mitu joining Baba on an important mission.  Baba is a rickshaw driver and he reminds Ibraheem that everyone has to share the road.  With his little rickshaw going “putter put,” the trio are off.  With a  “beep, beep” Baba tries to turn, but a little car responds, “honk, honk,” and in a hurry speeds ahead.  

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Up hills and down, a big colorful bus joins the road with a “toot, toot” as they go over the bridge, under the bridge, through a cricket game, all sharing the road.  A big truck joins the fun with a “rumble, rumble” and it isn’t long before they all come to a screeching halt.

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“Big and small, short and tall, everyone shares the road,” really means everyone as the mission is completed.

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The backmatter is an author’s note about her experiences of vehicles “talking” to each other.  The book comes out in September and is available for preorder/order, here,

 

May6

Our World: Pakistan by Rumaisa Bilal illustrated by Nez Riaz

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Our World: Pakistan by Rumaisa Bilal illustrated by Nez Riaz

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This 20 page board book doesn’t come out for a few months, but it really is adorable, and I love that it centers Islam, so I’m putting it on your radar hoping you might preorder to show your support.  This ever growing series highlights different countries by OWN voice authors, focuses on simple text, cultural insight, linguistic samples, and bright illustrations.  The book follows a little girl from morning to bedtime and then highlights parts of the unique cultural aspects shared in the back-ish matter.

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The book starts with Subah Bakhair, good morning, written in Urdu and English, before AllahuAkbar and prayers are made. Then it is time to get dressed and deciding what to wear.  Little brother is in a swinging cradle, and paratha and lassi are shared with family.  The little protagonist then heads on the driverless orange trains with her Dada, grandfather, to do some shopping, concluding with bedtime du’aas.

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Board books are a little tricky for me as if they are more than just a few words on a very basic topic, they seem to be really jumpy or really wordy.  If they manage to not have long blocks of text, and stay on the intended audience’s level, they seem to be random in what is included.  This book is no exception. I am not sure how the words were chosen to include in Urdu script, why some words are given for specific things like shalwar kameez, but not for the joolah.  Not sure why the bathroom, getting ready for bed scene is included, and why lota is highlighted in the end, either.  I’m sure to someone else it seems logical, there is nothing “wrong” with it, it just seemed a little disjointed from the rest of the inclusions.

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I love the illustrations, they are engaging and joyful.  Desis have a decent amount of rep in children’s books, but a board book dedicated just to Pakistan widely available here in the west, that is OWN voice, features Islam, and well done, really is delightful to see, alhumdulillah.

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You can preorder your copy here

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Apr3

Allah Made Me Different by Maryam Abbas

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Allah Made Me Different by Maryam Abbas

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There is nothing revolutionary about this 24 page picture book, but it answers a basic question that children always ask from an Islamic perspective in an engaging and adorable way.  Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy the rhyming lines, thick pages, and playful illustrations as they learn why they might look different then others. The book concludes with a dua for gratitude and circles back to the reassurance that Allah swt made us each perfect every few pages.  After multiple readings the pages do crease open, and thus I wish it was a board book.  The small size of 8.5 x 8.5 also makes it a little difficult to read to groups, but ideal one-on-one with little Muslims, alhumdulillah.

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The book starts with a child asking mama about the color of eyes and height.  Mama responds that, “Allah made you how you were meant to be.” The remainder of the book is reassurance that He made us with eyes right for us, hair perfect for us, etc..

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That we are different colors, speaking different languages, as Allah made us all unique, but with hearts to be kind.  Celebrating our differences and our similarities both in the text and illustrations.

You can purchase the book here on Amazon or at Crescent Moon Store.

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Apr2

Come To Prayer by Salwah Isaacs-Johaadien illustrated by Zeynep Yildirim

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Come To Prayer by Salwah Isaacs-Johaadien illustrated by Zeynep Yildirim

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Framed around the five fard prayers, the rhyming 26 pages take readers all around the world with the refrain of “come to prayer, some to salah, come to success, come to falah” appearing after each two page spread.  Reykjavik, Honolulu, Rio, Timbuktu, Kuala Lumpur, and Makkah are shown as families gather to pray in each city.  It is hard to know if the locations were chosen for a specific reason, or to just help with the rhyming lines.  I appreciate the map at the end in showing 18 masjids in the world, but they are not the only ones pictured in the book, so honestly it was not intuitive why they were highlighted. Additional information about the masjids included and where they are located in the world would have been far more beneficial.  The rhyming at times is forced, but for the minimal lines on the pages, and the clear organization of the book, it didn’t bother me too much.  The illustrations compliment the text well and amplify the concept of Islam being a global faith through the connection of Muslims praying everywhere.  The Islamic fiction book is meant for toddlers to early elementary, and with the positive tone of salah being an invitation to success, I think it works well for the audience.

The book starts with little kids waking up in a snowy scene in Reykjavik and heading out with their parents to pray Fajr at the masjid.  Then it is rain in Honolulu that can’t stop a family of five from driving slowly to the masjid for Zuhr.  In Rio a family packs up at the beach to get to Asr salah on time.  For Maghrib, not even a sandstorm across the Sahara can keep a family in Timbuktu from getting to prayer.  And finally a family takes shelter in the masjid for Isha as thunder and lightning in Kuala Lumpur halt their tour. The story ends with everyone entering Makkah in ihraam to pray at the Kaaba.

The book is a thick paperback cover, with glossy 9 x 9.5 inch pages.  It works well for small group story times or bedtime.  It is available on Amazon here or from Crescent Moon Store here.

Mar30

Baby Touch: Happy Eid! by Lemon Ribbon Studio

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Baby Touch: Happy Eid! by Lemon Ribbon Studio

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This 12 word, 10 page, touch and feel board book is nothing special, yet for some reason it does make me smile.  It could be better, and absolutely, “star” has nothing to do with Eid, but that it is in our public library, that it is full of joy for our littlest humans, and that it has mosque and prayer rug, and charity, and community, and family, and feast, is really quite sweet. It would work for either Eid and the bright uniform pictures are clear and simple to engage babies and toddlers alike.

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Each page spread has a singular image and a word below it.  The pictures on the right have some sort of touch and feel element, from a bumpy minaret, to raised smooth coins in the charity jar.  I wish the rice on the feast plate would have been raised and that a plush prayer rug would have been offered, but until publishers seek out beta readers, this is probably as good as it is going to get.

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Some of the words might be too advanced, but I think the singularity allows for discussion if the child wants, if not, it is still nice to see elements of Eid illustrated for a baby to connect to in a joyous presentation.  The 7x 7 book is not overly padded, but the corners are rounded and easy for little hands to carry.

I found mine at my library, but it is also available here on Amazon.

Mar26

Mimi & Unicorn Get to Know Allah by Zanib Mian illustrated by Laila Ramadhani

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Mimi & Unicorn Get to Know Allah by Zanib Mian illustrated by Laila Ramadhani

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Creating understanding and love of Allah swt is perhaps the most important type of Islamic fiction book available for young children, so I love that we have options to choose from. The framing of this book is nothing new, a child asking various people about Allah swt to learn about Him, is found in numerous books.  But, this 32 page book is particularly engaging because of the large brightly illustrated pages, and the author’s signature style of conveying facts in a simple relatable manner.  The comic relief of the unicorn and the adorable protagonist are great, and the added layer of it being checked by two named scholars really make this one of the best in a very populated category.

The book starts with Mimi wondering about Allah swt after hearing people say things such as, “Allah will take care of it,” and “Allah knows.”  She asks her imaginary friend, Unicorn, but she doesn’t know either, so they head off to ask different family members.

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Summaya, Mimi’s big sister tells her that  “if you know Allah, you love Him, and He loves you.” It is followed up with details that Allah swt knows us, because he made us. From Nana, Mimi and Unicorn learn that Allah swt is One, and he explains why we don’t know what he looks like.  From Nani we learn that “Allah swt has no beginning and no ending.” Baba explains that we turn to Allah swt when we need help, Unicorn wonders if we need a phone or Imam to do that. Finally she talks to her Mama who explains trusting Allah’s plan.

Each stop is beautifully articulated and examples are given, resulting in a Mimi who’s heart becomes light and warm, and who works to know more about Allah swt every single day.

The backmatter includes notes from the author and illustrator and various bookish people sharing their early understanding of Allah swt and his attributes.

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The book is available from muslimchildrensbooks.co.uk in the UK and here from Crescent Moon Store in the USA (she ships globally)

Mar24

The Monkey, The Cow, and the Wolf (The Song Book) by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Amir Al-Zubi and Azra Momin

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The Monkey, The Cow, and the Wolf (The Song Book) by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Amir Al-Zubi and Azra Momin

I was wondering when the book version of this song was going to be released.  It is a beloved at our house, and when the book arrived, I don’t know if the 4 year old or 13 year old was more excited.  Either way, none of us were able to read the book, we all, by about page two, were singing at full volume the story of the monkey, the cow, and the wolf.  If upon seeing this cover you didn’t immediately start humming the beloved kid’s song, then you are in for a treat with this book as three stories about animals teaching timeless lessons are shared.  The book is simply the lyrics of the song, so a parent might need to explain a bit, but the fun illustrations, and rhyming lines will make it a favorite for toddlers and preschoolers to sing and flip pages to, alhumdulillah.

The song/book is organized with a statement, a chorus highlighting the moral after each story and then repeating the opening framing statement.  The first story is about a business man who would cheat his customers, Allah swt sent him a monkey, and the monkey purified his wealth by disposing of half of it in the sea. The moral being that “Allah hates cheating, Allah hates lies, so give what’s due and receive what’s right.”

The next story is about a farmer and his cow.  The farmer works his animals way too hard, so Allah allows the cow to speak and tell his owner not to abuse him or the other animals.  The moral being that “Allah made animals, Allah made man, to all living creatures be kind and fair.”

The final story is about the wolf trying to steal the sheep and the shepherd protecting them.  The warning is that the sheep must be strong in faith for the wolf will always be trying to take you.

The book and song are catchy and fun, and provide stories and morals to discuss with kids at story time and bedtime.  The only slightly odd thing about the book is that the last page is the inside back cover.  I’m sure it was a binding decision but it seems it could have balanced the title pages at the beginning to make it feel symmetrical.

Available to order HERE

Mar21

Until You Find the Sun by Maryam Hassan illustrated by Anna Wilson

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Until You Find the Sun by Maryam Hassan illustrated by Anna Wilson

I don’t know that this book is particularly unique or mind blowing, but I read a digital copy a few weeks ago and was surprised when some tears fell, I read it when I got the physical copy to my kids and my throat caught again, and here I am writing this review and feeling all vulnerable.  It is as if I too am a little girl in a new place missing her grandfather on the other side of the world, which clearly I’m not.  The book is sweet, and moving, and I find myself emotionally invested every time I read through the 32 pages and get lost in the large sweeping illustrations.  The book is not Islamic, there are a few hijabis in the background and text that articulates friends saying salaam before the girl moves.  Additionally, the main character’s name is Aminah, and the author is of Pakistani decent, and has a Muslim sounding name.  The story though, at its core is universal, heartfelt, reassuring, hopeful, and lovely to share in all spaces. It begs to be read aloud and holds the attention of toddlers to early elementary aged children.

The book starts with a happy little Aminah in a bright sparkly environment of sunshine, mangoes, and salaams.  Every night she listens to Da’s stories of adventure as she snuggles next to her grandfather.  One day she finds out they are moving, going on an adventure.  Only Da won’t be joining them and Aminah is devastated.

The new home is gray, and cold, and no adventure at all.  She wants to go back, but Da reassures her during their nightly conversations that things will get better.  And sure enough, with a bit of bright yellow inspiration, she starts to discover the adventures awaiting in her new home.

Kids will find the end hopeful and resolved, but I somehow found it a little bittersweet.  Da loves his grand daughter and wants her happy, but the adult me, realizes their relationship will never be the same, and Da will miss her in many ways, alone, as she embarks on her own life.  I know I’m projecting, but the ability to see both perspectives adds a nice layer to the book.

The book is available here from Amazon and will be in local libraries in June 2024.