Tag Archives: bedtime

Mar7

Hunger Alert by Shazia Afzal illustrated by Sania Hussain

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Hunger Alert by Shazia Afzal illustrated by Sania Hussain

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On my first read through, this book came across as a bit text heavy and the presentation didn’t quite fit with the content for the target audience, but when my seven year old read it, then reread it, and my 12 year old picked up and read it and both said, “it’s good,” I realized, the target audience is not little kids, nor is it adults, it is kids who have fasted and have felt the pangs of hunger.  The character is getting through his first day, but the relatability is for kids everywhere fasting for the first time the hundredth time and everywhere in between.  It is Islam centered, I appreciate the healthy food temptations and the unwavering that fasting needs to be done, but as an adult and an educator, so often I wanted to interject Islamic touchstone to getting through the day asking Allah for help, talking your self up and increasing your determination by knowing the Angels are recording your struggles and you will be rewarded in the akhira, and while Quran is read, and a surah loved, and Islamic phrases included, the focus of the book is a little boy in a very idyllic family trying to keep hungry thoughts away. The small 8 x 8 soft back book with 22 thick cardboard pages would be a bit hard to share at story time, but the simple concept story is fine in smaller groups and at bed time.

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The books starts with Ahmed fasting for the first time in Ramadan, he has a list of things he needs to complete his fast: 1-Keep busy, 2- Don’t think about food, and 3-Stay away from the kitchen.  I found when reading it to my younger kids I would pause here to discuss why we fast, and that we are doing it for the sake of Allah, so we need Him to be successful, not distractions.

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Ahmed starts with reading his favorite book about a charitable boy, the illustrations though had baskets full of shiny, big, read apples.  “Grr, Hunger Alert!” He runs to his brother’s room to keep busy with a soccer video game, but the prize on the screen are big, yellow bananas. “Grr, Hunger Alert!” This continues throughout the day, including while reading Surah Rahman, and the pomegranates trigger yet another Hunger Alert. When Grandpa asks him to take strawberries to his mom and his mom is in the kitchen, each of his rules will have to be broken.

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With iftaar approaching and fruit chaat waiting, Ahmed will have to persevere to complete his fast.  There is a glossary at the back and the book you can search online to find where the book is available near you http://www.compassbooks.ca

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Aug8

Hamza’s Pyjama Promise by Marzieh Abbas

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Hamza’s Pyjama Promise by Marzieh Abbas

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When I flipped through the book standing on my porch as the delivery truck drove away, I groaned a little internally at the simple illustrations, terrible font, large amount of text on each page, and the four fingered boy at the center of it all.  Alhumdulillah, I gave it a chance and ended up really liking it.  The book stayed with me, then I read it to my kids and it stayed with them.  Then I mentally made a checklist of all the teachable ways this book could be used in an Islamic school classroom, story time presentation, bedtime reading, and even just as a regular reference point.  This Islamic fiction book packs a lot of information in while connecting to religious concepts kids are most likely familiar with and silly points that will make five to eight year olds giggle.

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The book opens with verse 65 from Surah Yasin in English meaning of the translation and the Quranic Arabic.  The story then begins with it being bedtime for young Hamza and him running up the stairs to put on his rocket pyjamas.

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When he brushes his teeth he looks in the mirror and finds notes hanging all over addressed to him.  The first letter he reads is from his hands reminding him to wash them before he does anything and reminds him Prophet Muhammad (SAW) “said the best Muslim is the one who doesn’t harm others with his hands or tongue.”  It then mentions that the left hand doesn’t like carrying weight so use your body to ensure you get your book of deeds on the Day of Judgement in your right hand.

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The book continues with eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and feet writing messages urging Hamza to cover his eyes when something inappropriate pops up on the screen, or protecting his ears from listening in on other people’s conversations.  Every point of how to act is connected to an ayat in the Quran or Hadith of Rasullallah.

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After reading the letters, Hamza makes wudhu, says a dua before bed which is shared in English, promises to take care of the body Allah swt has blessed him with and then asks the readers what their pyjama promise is.

The book concludes with pictures and captions of Hamza’s bedtime routine of brushing his teeth, reflecting on his day, making wudhu, reciting tasbih (SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhumdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times), reciting Ayat ul Kursi, and sleeping on  your right side.

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There are no sources in the book, but most seems “general knowledge” so to speak.  And for as preachy as the book may sound in my review, it really isn’t.  The character’s voice or rather the body parts’ voices are relatable and light.  I think young ones enjoy that they are hearing things they have probably heard before and making a connection to them being repeated in a new way.  Having your body parts talk is both silly and sobering as the target age group can imagine it happening.  It really reminds kids that their actions are seen and recorded, in a non scary or overwhelming way.

I look forward to sharing this book in library story times, masjid story times, and regularly with my own children.  The publisher is a Shia press, but I don’t think any Muslim would find anything controversial in the book (please note though I am not highly educated in these things). And while American’s may find the spelling of pyjama hard on the eyes, with the exception of that one word the book is not region specific or difficult to connect to for global readers of any age.

Oct14

Common Threads: Adam’s Day at the Market by Huda Essa illustrated by Merce’ Tous

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Common Threads: Adam’s Day at the Market by Huda Essa illustrated by Merce’ Tous

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A lot of story is conveyed in this 13 word book for preschoolers about diversity, similarities, and love.  In 32 picture rich pages you meet a little family at an outdoor market, see Adam lose track of his parents as he follows a bird, and meet a lot of kind people as he mistakes them for his parents based on the clothing they are wearing.

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Naturally it has a happy ending, and it appears all the characters come together to get to know one another.  The pictures are beautiful and radiate with light and colors.

The market in general is diverse and the characters Adam meets show clothing similarities.  His mother wears hijab and he mistakes a nun in a habit for her, and then a lady in a kanga.  He thinks he sees his father, but it is a man with a yarmulke and a gentleman in a similar color shalwar kameez looks a lot like his dad’s kurta, but isn’t him either.

This is truly a picture book with sparse words of “Mama?” and “Baba?” being the bulk of the text.  It is visual and conversation sparking in its minimal and simplistic text.  By not having the author fill in the conversation, a preschooler gets to do it themselves, and hopefully broaden their mind in the process.

The beginning of the book has a beautiful Note to Readers urging children and adults to engage in diverse collaborations to increase empathy, innovation, social justice, and understanding to the benefit of us all.

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The book concludes with a challenge to children to become cultural detectives.  It notes that what we wear sends a message about who we are, but it is just what you see on the outside.  It encourages us to ask questions respectfully and kindly to learn about one another.

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Aug13

Ali and the Moon by M.I. Kafray illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

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Ali and the Moon by M.I. Kafray illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

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I originally bought this book in Ramadan and had hoped to review it so that those looking for Ramadan books could benefit. But it isn’t Ramadan specific, just moon themed, and I really was so disappointed with the binding quality for the amount I paid for it, I didn’t think it was fair to review the story until I could get over the number of blank white pages in the book, and the overall copy-shop self-printed and bound vibe that the book emits as soon as you hold it.

The premise of the book is the hadith that if you see something bad you should change it with our hands, and if you can’t, then change it with your tongue, and if you can’t do that, then pray for them in your heart. 

The 16 page book starts off a bit awkward, with the boy just staring at the moon, but by page five, the story hits its stride and is sweet.  The moon dims and is sad about the state of the world.  Ali starts talking to the moon in rhyming lines, and convinces him that there is still good in the world.  The moon and Ali decide that at night they will pray for the world and the people in it.

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The end of the book has the hadith and the surahs one should say before going to sleep: Surah al-Ikhlaas, Surah al-Falaq, then Surah an-Nas and lastly, Ayatul Kursi.

The illustrations are cute, they are expressive and the moon and boy sweet.  I just wish the paper had more weight and that the story a bit longer.  A lot could be discussed with the premise of the Muslim boy talking to the moon with a great vantage point.  More specifics and more inspiration would have made this mediocre, albeit expensive book, great.

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Jul30

How to Scare a Monster by Zanib Mian

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How to Scare a Monster by Zanib Mian

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I like a lot of books, but this one, well it might be my favorite.  The size, the length, the colors, the fonts, the illustrations, the message, truly it is fabulous for 3-5 year olds.

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The premise is simple and straightforward.  The book doesn’t try and do too much or put too much on its 32 pages.  It identifies ways to deal with monsters, and then offers what some people try and do to scare them away, concluding the best and only solution, is to ask Allah for help by saying, Audhoobillah.  

Kids will laugh at the silly illustrations and attempts to be monster free, and remember the clear strong message of calling on Allah swt when afraid.  

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The only critique for me is the page about the kid with a stink-bomb in their nappy. While funny, the sentence structure doesn’t flow, the narrator’s voice seems abrupt and off to me.  Possibly that it goes from active voice to passive for that line only (its been a while since I’ve articulated grammar structure, so maybe not :)).

Most people try to rrooaaarr!

or hide under the bed.

Sometimes they call their mum, mmummm!

or even better.  A kid with a stink-bomb in their nappy.

Some turn the lights on,

or hold on to their favourite teddy.

Other than that, the book is fun and works well for muslim kids at story time or bedtime alike, alhumdulillah.