Tag Archives: culture

Oct7

Zamzam for Everyone: Sharing Water at Hajj by Razeena Omar Gutta illustrated by Bassent Dawoud

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Zamzam for Everyone: Sharing Water at Hajj by Razeena Omar Gutta illustrated by Bassent Dawoud

This joyful 32 page picture book is both adorable and educational. Layers of Hajj and Zamzam threaded through with the global reach of Islam, generosity, food, language, and a little girl with a big smile brightening every encounter, is heartfelt and tender. Each reading has me smiling and marveling at the illustrations, amount of information simply conveyed, and the way it all comes together to offer both a window and a mirror for readers of all ages, particularly 3 and up.  The robust backmatter allows older readers to benefit, and with pronunciation guides, cultural and religious oversight noted, this book will be a favorite at bedtime and story times in Islamic and public schools, libraries, and gatherings.  SubhanAllah, the book is really well done and such a gift to us all to see Hajj and Zamzam unapologetically and proudly presented through little Mariam’s eyes.  It will leave children feeling like they just had a warm hug, and inshaAllah making dua’a that they too will be invited to Hajj soon.  

The book starts with Mariam feeling blessed to be one of the millions of people at Hajj. Her mother encourages her to be good, share, and be grateful all while staying hydrated, as it will be tiring.  She tries to come up with what she can do to get blessings, in addition to smiling, when she realizes sharing her Zamzam water will be the most beneficial. 

She helps an old lady find a seat and gives her some Zamzam, the Pakistani lady says, “shukria” and gives her dates in return. When she shares with some Indonesian sisters and is told “Terimah Kasih” she is handed some pandan cookies in gratitude.  This continues all throughout her Umrah with pilgrims and workers from different countries thanking her in different languages and sharing something back with her.  

It carries on through the steps of her Hajj, even when Makkah is far away. And even when she returns to her home, she shares the Zamzam to bring a part of Hajj to those that stayed at home.

The backmatter tells the story of Zamzam, information about the treats mentioned from around the world, information about Hajj with a glossary as well as the steps of Umrah and Hajj, information about the author and illustrator, and who helped insure accuracy of all the cultural and religious content included.

The book comes out in January 2026, and appears to be available in both hardback and paperback, please preorder to show support.

 

Sep18

Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

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Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

At 368 pages this identity centered mature YA book really hooked me and had me invested, which is impressive because Islamophobia stereotypes and being the new kid in a new place tropes are pretty frequently done, and often after a while, feel repetitive.  For me the charm of this book is actually not Maaryah and her peers/friends/bullies storylines, but the protagonist’s relationship with her parents and what caused her mom and dad to divorce.  Obviously as a mom of teens, I’m not in the target audience, but I feel like I benefited from the Muslim authored, Islam centered book, and think older teens, perhaps 17 and up, will also find the book enjoyable and reflective of views they have, challenges they face, and boundaries they have to establish.  I don’t want to spoil it, but SPOILER, had my dear friends that have read the book clued me in that the book will toe and slightly cross the haram lines, but ultimately show Maaryah deciding to re-establish her boundaries after being tempted not to, i.e. making a poor choice to attend a party with boys and alcohol present, and dressed in a way not typical to her hijabi style, I wouldn’t have read the last hundred and twenty pages or so with my jaw clenched in fear. The book shows a lot of Islam in practice, salat, duas, discussions about hijab, but not everyone will agree with decisions Maaryah makes or the rationale behind them as they vacillate between culture, religion, and family expectations.  I love that Maaryah is fallible and never abandons her faith, and that who we are is more than a singular mistake or instance of poor judgement. The book is not preachy, most will just take it as a girl finding her place in her new family dynamic in a new country, who happens to Muslim.  I think, an assumption really, based on what the author has said about her previous adult books, something along the lines that they are not meant to be Islamic fiction, but are stories with Muslim characters, and I think this book should probably be viewed the same.  There is swearing, hand holding, a side hug, normalized boy girl friendships, lying, running away, deceit, cheating, alcohol, mention of hookups, dating, vaping, music, flirting, hijab questioning, bullying, physical assault.  My biggest concern about the book is that it brings up Palestine, but doesn’t discuss Palestine. A side character is a non practicing Jew that visits Tel Aviv and Maaryah wants to discuss the occupation with her, but hesitates and the moment passes.  It is never revisited which I really wish it would have.  It could have modeled a bit how to have those conversations, I know it isn’t that type of book, but Maaryah mentions repurposing kaffiyehs in her designs and so it hints that it matters to her, but never pulls on that thread.  At one point it also mentions another character posted something pro Isr@*l during the genocide, which I can only assume the author thought that by the time of publication would have ended.  SubhanAllah ya Raab.

SYNOPSIS:
The tag line on the cover “From Dubai Girl to London Nobody…” very succinctly summarizes the plot.  Maaryah had an idyllic life in Dubai with her parents and close friends, spending her holidays with her mom’s family in London, and securing an internship with a famous designer.  All is going well until her parents get divorced, her mom moves her to the UK, not near her extended family, and the lack of Muslims, let alone hijabis, at her high school has her bullied with no friends to have her back.  With her mom in survival mode, their once close relationship is non-existent, and the 15 year old is left to sort through it all on her own.

WHY I LIKE IT:

There is a little pulling of punches so to speak of asserting that the boundaries are Islamic, but for the most part I think Muslim readers will see that Maaryah does view a lot of what she experiences through an Islamic lens which I appreciate. I also like that the protagonist’s connection to salat and faith is hers, it isn’t forced on her and I think for this demographic that is good micro messaging and framing.

I was very grateful that the book answered the questions about Maaryah’s family dynamic, so often parental problems are pushed to the void and let to be resolved or understood off the page. And while in the first half it was teased a little as we aren’t having that conversation right now, I did ultimately by the end feel like it was sufficiently resolved.  I also felt the mom was blaringly absent at weird times and I get that it was a plot device to get her out of the way, but if you are dragging at the 100 page mark, I do encourage you to keep reading, it does pick up.

This book isn’t meant to be didactic, and I recognize I’m putting that on it a bit, but I do think the Gaza framing missed an opportunity to show readers how to navigate that very real scenario through the power of fictional characters.

FLAGS:

Copied from above: There is swearing, hand holding, a side hug, normalized boy girl friendships, lying, running away, deceit, cheating, alcohol, mention of hookups, dating, vaping, music, flirting, hijab questioning, bullying, physical assault.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would shelve this in an upper high school classroom, I think that decision to be at the party is clearly shown to be a mistake, to put herself in that situation is something she regrets, and I think showing that she comes out from it offers a lot to be discussed.

Sep2

My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle

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My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle

Oh Dear. The very premise alone of this book requires the author to expertly thread the needle of numerous pitfalls, which in my opinion did not occur.  A girl, Leena, learns about family members at age 16, who are Muslim, and the practice of Islam being the “reason” her mother ran away from her family when she herself was 16, means that for Muslim readers the representation needs to be clear that the family’s interpretation is to blame and not the religion itself.  It also means that as Leena learns the reader learns, and non Muslims (or honestly even Muslims) are not going to want a heavy handed preachy 256 page YA book. The Islam “taught” to Leena has to align with the readers interpretation or show why the characters believe as they do, and the conclusion regarding religion and identity needs to make sense for the character aside from what reader wants to have happen.  Unfortunately the copy I read contained numerous errors, repetitive paragraphs, a weak resolution, dropped plot threads, and had me cringing at how harsh Islam was being presented through the great aunt character, that honestly if Islam was just presented as no dating and dressing modestly, or else you will get married off, I can see why one would run away.  The book contains a lot of cursing, and features dating, having a child out of wedlock, death, and gambling by non Muslim characters.

SYNOPSIS:
Leena has always wanted a big family, but her and her single mom, Asiyah tackle life together.  Leena and her best friend Deidre are employed by Asiyah’s in home daycare and are as close as sisters, but she wants more.  When Asiyah finds out her father has had a heart attack, Leena learns she has a grandfather and great aunt that live an hour away, in Santa Fe.  From the moment Leena sets foot in the hospital, under the gaze of her Aunt Samira, the judgmental overtones begin regarding clothing, education, food choices, and dating.  As a result Asiyah is reassured that she made the right decision all those years ago to leave Islam and her family.  Leena however, has had her entire world changed, and is willing to endure the abrasive Samira to get to know her grandfather Tariq.

WHY I LIKE IT:
I like that family drama and secrets were teased, even if I didn’t think that they were presented and resolved well. I wish they took more of the focus and that Islam being a reason for the animosity was downplayed.  I think religion could and should have been one of many factors, having it be the ONLY factor put a lot of pressure on the presentation, which fell short.  It also means that the resolution needed to resolve the Islam hanging in the air, SPOILER,  it didn’t.  The conclusion has Asiyah realizing her father never stopped loving her, but how did that resolve the relationship with her and Samira? And suddenly Samira just backed off her singular Islamic identity? A bit of whiplash with it all happening off the page, left me unsatisfied.  Speaking of pages, the book spends a lot of page space having characters drive the one hour one way to have conversations that are less than 15 minutes and could have been done over the phone or even texted.  Nothing exciting or revealing comes from these drives, they just make the story drag. Tariq should have ridden along, so we could see why he was “such a great man,” see why Leena kept enduring the harshness of her Aunt to get to know him, and have the family she always dreamed of.

Islam is presented through the harshest of harsh characters, a few side characters are brought in that make Islam more realistic in practice and fleshed out, but it really feels like it is too little too late.  I think a non Muslim would feel Islam is just modest dress, no interacting with boys, marrying early, and rigid rules.  Leena is harassed from the first moment she meets her family, no easing in to it, she is even handed brochures on her first visit to her grandfather’s home.  Yet, Leena never shows any interest in learning about Islam, she could Google it if she was curious, even when at the masjid, she doesn’t go and watch them pray, no connection to Allah is ever discussed, it is just dos and do nots.  Consistently throughout it feels like Islam is weaponized and perhaps that is the author’s experience or intent, but it is odd coming from a Muslim writer in a fictional setting.  We get enough of that stereotyping from the non Muslim real world.

The emphasis on Islam being the only thing that matters for these characters means that whether they are religious or not, the characters are painted very one dimensional. Leena is a terrible friend, she counts on Deidre to drive her around, she never follows up on asking about her dates or reciprocating the effort for her other than feeding her.  Asiyah has an ex-boyfriend show up, and then goes out with a friend, but there is no context for their abrupt arrivals and then departures from the story, they do not serve as a foil to reveal any pertinent information or connection. A plot device used quite often in the book, and one I am not a fan of, is when things can be solved by characters simply having a conversation.  It is never the right time, they will talk later, even the fruition that started the family fracturing could have been eased by, you guessed it, the characters talking, not even agreeing, just talking.  While I’m running through my top gripes, might I add, that I have spent a few too many minutes on the cover as well.  Presumably Leena is in the middle, her young single mom Asiyah on the right, but who is the young hijabi? Her aunt does not read young at all, and she would not have her neck showing, that would go against her core characterization. So before you come at me that I have no right to my opinions and that I’m too mean, please solve the mystery of who is on the cover, thank you.

I read an ARC so I am aware that changes could have occurred, I’ve requested the book from my library and it is on order, and I will come back and correct this paragraph if needed.  The story of tae kwon do is repeated in two different spots almost word for word as if the information that Asiyah was good at tae kwon do both times is news to Leena.  Clearly it is in error.  It also has Deidre’s grandmother getting their house with the insurance money from Deidre’s parents dying and then a few lines later saying how the grandma doesn’t let Diedre forget that the spare room was changed to a bedroom for Diedre when she moved in.  A friend, Rheem, is brought in guide Leena academically, and is described as being homeschooled and changing to an online program for her senior year to also take dual enrollment classes, a few chapters later they are going to her Islamic High School for a party.  Side note, the sign on the high school says, “ALHIDAAYAH ISLAMIC SCHOOL: Grades sixth through twelfth.  We want our children learning it’s okay to be both American and Muslim.” The last page of the book also has a “Sharifa” in the back seat, and there is no Sharifa previously mentioned in the book.

FLAGS:
Cursing, judgement, dating, running away from home, anger, death, loss, lying, flirting, gambling, child out of wedlock, cutting family ties, clothing shaming, music, othering.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I wouldn’t shelve or use this book for a book club read.  I think Muslim kids would be annoyed by the way Islam is presented.  I think they would be ok that Leena SPOILER didn’t take an interest in Islam, but I think they would be bothered by the flat, angry portrayal that it has in the book.

Jun27

Tyger by SF Said illustrated by Dave McKean

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Tyger by SF Said illustrated by Dave McKean

I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book like this 304 page middle grade fantasy, dystopian, highly illustrated adventure. It delves into philosophy, alternate universes, slavery, racism, politics, magic, identity, friendship, betrayal, human rights, education, following your dreams, saving the world, and a talking immortal tiger. It started a little stilted for me, but as the book progressed, I began to see that a lot of detail about all the above mentioned threads would make for a very adult, very lengthy read, and this is meant for 9-12 year olds, albeit they would need to be able to handle the darkness of the book at times, and caregivers, be aware there is a public hanging of a child. The author is Muslim, and the protagonist and a side character identify as Muslim.  There is not much about Islam, or shown in practice, but that they are afraid to learn and practice their faith is mentioned briefly. I think kids will enjoy the read, and not get hung up on threads unexplored as I did.  The illustrations really make it a book that feels exciting to spend time with, and one that will linger with the reader.  I look forward to sharing it when it releases soon in the US, as it was published in 2022 in the UK.

SYNOPSIS:

In short the book is about a boy, Adam, living “in an alternate London where the British Empire hasn’t ended and slavery was never abolished.” In a partitioned off Ghetto as a minority from the vague “Middle East,” who is unable to go to school, or even draw, he makes deliveries for his family to help keep them afloat. During one such delivery he encounters a tiger, an animal like so many others that is extinct, her name is Tyger, and she speaks.  She is an immortal searching for Guardians to help her heal and open a portal to the city.  When Adam, who is immediately connected to her, cannot find a Guardian, she begins to train him, time is short and when he discovers his friend Zadie, short for Scheherazade, has some training from her father, the two set out to open the doors of perception, imagination, creation, and  revelation, to save the day.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I really like that this book opens up larger discussions about society, self, literature, imagination etc, and can really be adapted to mean different things depending on what the reader brings to it. The book addresses these themes in a way that doesn’t talk down to the reader, and in many ways allows the simple bad guy of the story to not be the takeaway point, but rather the journey of understanding perspective, points of view, empathy, creating something, and hope to be far more important.

The identity of the characters being Muslim initially was just a label, one that just made Adam and Zadie more “other,” but a few cleverly crafted sentences about hiding their names, their skin color, and whether it worked or not, allow the reader to reflect on if denying yourself to appease others is effective or not, or rather more importantly knowing when and in which situations it could be a benefit or a selling out of who you are.  Zadie and her father seem to practice, and one point Solomon ( Suleiman), offers his prayers, he says Assalamualaikum and Bismilliah. Adam and his family on the other hand, have hidden their faith so as to fit in better, and thus it is simply an identity label.

I liked that the illustrations weren’t just stunning in their own right, but also highlighted the mood, and metaphysical elements of the story.  I feel like I could teach not just a few lessons on this book, but dozens, and who knows if they would be correct, but I think this book would be fantastic as a read aloud in a classroom for the story at hand and for the discussions.  The darkness, the excitement, the hope, really gripped me, and while I could opine on plot holes and lack of articulation, in some key scenes, I appreciate that over explanation would take away from all that the book gets right.

FLAGS:

Racism, oppression, colonialism, slavery, hanging, power imbalance, betrayal, lying, sneaking, fighting, killing, magic, fantasy elements.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Where to even start, this book needs an educators guide, stat. I looked online and couldn’t find one and I hope that will be corrected soon because if you read my thought above, you know there is a lot to discuss.

Jun25

Always Be My Bibi by Priyanka Taslim

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Always Be My Bibi by Priyanka Taslim

I had pretty low expectations going into this 368 page YA romcom- as often YA is really “adult” and if the characters/author are Muslim in a “romance” it tends to become a heavy handed rebellion against Islamic principles. So imagine my surprise when the book really is meant for teenage readers. The protagonist loves her culture, and it is established really early on that they are Muslim, but aren’t religious.  Sure as an “Islamic School Librarian,” I wish the characters practiced Islam, and that the the kissing and hugging was labeled as haram, but for the fictional story on the page, that is cultural based, it is a delightfully chaotic and fun read.  Note, the kissing and haramness occurs when they are “sneaking out,” and reads as if they are sneaking out from parental rules, not Islamic ones, as they do not view the world through an Islamic lens.  The protagonist’s sister is presented as religious in that she wears hijab, and left a prestigious private school to attend a local Islamic one, but it is not a major plot point, and if anything shows that Islam is not a monolith or something forced, really though it just shows how different the siblings are.  Does that mean the writing is some literary genius? No, not really, but it is a quick light summer read that I enjoyed. The main character, Habiba, aka Bibi, reads as a Bangladeshi Cher from Clueless through and through, and while at the start it was a bit annoying, I ultimately found her endearing by the end.  There are plot holes, but I didn’t care too much given the quick pace and the nature of the book. The ending though, was drawn out and too long, and the book could have been easily 50 pages shorter. All in all it was fun to be transported to a tea estate in Bangladeshi for a wedding, and I wouldn’t have a problem with 15 – 16 year olds or so reading the book.

SYNOPSIS:

Bibi is in hot water with her father for sneaking off to prom with a boy, the deal has always been no dating until her older, perfect, law school bound, sister Halima gets married.  And her punishment for the summer is working at the family restaurant, one of the many Royal Fried Chicken locations in the chain they started that makes her family, chicken royalty. When hijab wearing, no haram dating Halima springs on her family that she is getting married, the family all heads to Bangladesh for the summer to get to know the groom’s family on the massive tea estate, and celebrate the wedding. Oh and Bibi’s punishment will be transferred from working fast food, to working in the fields under her new brother-in-law to be’s grumpy, serious, younger brother, Sohel.  Bibi also holds her father to his end of the deal and when the big book of biodatas arrives, she is ready to have her chaperoned dates as promised.

As the prickly family of inlaws look down on Bibi and her family, Bibi and surprisingly, Sohel join forces to break the pair up. As the book unfolds their mission changes, the bio data book causes drama, old flames are sought after, and the wedding takes some surprising turns.

WHY I LIKE IT:

As I write this, I’m rolling my eyes at the fact that I really did read it in two sittings and was amused. Bibi is spoiled and clueless and yet does have a good heart.  As with most romantically inclined books, a whole lot of suspension of reality takes place and side characters are not fully fleshed out.  Halima and Sunny met in college, and there families are from the same part of Sylhet, infact Baba worked on the Rahman’s tea estate before coming to America.  The grandma is woefully underdeveloped, I get that she is a side character but the girls spend so little time with this woman they love so dearly is a blaring hole. I really didn’t get some of the scenes after the midpoint, they felt like filler and they felt forced: friends coming from America, the bachelorette party turned amusement park trip, Sohel not sticking up for Bibi, the half hearted love triangle, and the Bibi Baba multiple rehashings.

I did like that the title of the book though comes from something Baba says to Bibi, and not from a love interest, that made me smile. And I liked that the “dates” were supervised, it is vague if the dates in America would have been, or if once Halima was married she would have been allowed to “date” with a western definition, but I kind of liked that it wasn’t defined.

FLAGS:

Disrespect, sneaking out, kissing, hugging, close boy girl friendships, sneaking out, language.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
Definitely not a book to spotlight as a book club selection, but one that I would have on the shelf and not mind older high schoolers reading.

May7

Music of the Mountains: A Story in Pakistan by Sabrina Shah illustrated by Manal Mirza

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Music of the Mountains: A Story in Pakistan by Sabrina Shah illustrated by Manal Mirza

Set around an Eid concert in the North-West Frontier in Pakistan, a young girl must find her courage to play the rabab in front of an audience, even though she is still learning her first song. The beautiful illustrations of Manal Mirza and focusing on an under represented population, made me hopeful that this book would transcend the musical focus and weave in Islam and culture. Sadly, though, the book falls victim to cliche lines that mean nothing, and a story that doesn’t make a lot of sense once you move past the superficial attraction. The backmatter infographics about the rabab, where it can be heard, details about the Pathan/Pashtun people, What Eid is, the traditional clothing, and a Pashto Glossary, add to the vibe of the book, but still fail to offer any specific “hospitality, courage, and rich traditions,” that are only ever referenced in generalized terms and statements.

The book starts with Roohi’s favorite time of day, the sun is settling behind the snow capped mountains and her family is gathering around to listen to her grandfather, Neeka Baba, play the rabab. No they aren’t praying maghrib, or breaking their fast, so presumably it is not Ramadan.  When Neeka Baba plays, “songs full of rhythm echo through the cherry blossom hills.  Songs from long ago tell stories of folklore, heroes, and love. . . songs of Roohi’s ancestors.” A beautiful sentiment, but it is not a thesis statement or main idea of the book as we, the reader, never learn about her ancestors, or folklore, or about the culture.” We are just told they all had courage, and she needs to channel that strength.

She will need strength to play the rabab at her school concert, except remember “she hasn’t even learned a whole song yet.” She also worries she won’t be as good as her grandfather, but presumably he has been playing longer and she is just starting, so I never connected why she felt she should be as good as him.  No one in the story compares them, or says she should be as good as him, or even strive to be as good as him.  There is nothing that hints that this is even a part of the characters development other than the repetitive refrain that she must “play with the courage of those who came before her.” So the cathartic release of being told “to play like yourself” also seems forcefully contrived and not a natural arc of growth and understanding.

As Eid creeps closer, Roohi has lessons with her grandfather on the rabab, and then Neeka Baba coughs and is in the hospital. The reader has no idea how this man falls ill, or recovers, if it was sudden or a known affliction, but he is no longer the focus, the rabab is, and so the story continues.

At the school concert, Roohi is introduced as playing music from the North-West Frontier Province.  Hold up, yes I thought I skipped a page.  They live in the North-West Frontier, don’t they, this is a school concert? What an odd introduction, did they travel? At the end there is a “smile as wide as the lush valleys back home.”  When did they leave home? And why a silent prayer, why not a “bismillah.” Isn’t the point of OWN voice to have the little details and the voice that can’t be imitated by researched work?

I am going to spoil the ending, she freezes, Mama and Neeka Baba help her find her beat in the audience and she steals the show so to speak. The ending is sweet, but not anywhere near as heartfelt as it should have been if the audience would have been shown the strength and courage of the Pashtun culture, not just repeatedly told it, felt the warmth of their hospitality, the rich ancestral values that would be threads that manifest in the music that she is hoping to share with others. Sadly we are just expected to know that they all exist and cheer for Roohi to succeed.

Disappointing, considering how fantastic the illustrations are, sigh.

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.

Apr27

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

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Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

The author may have returned to her fictional Golden Crescent neighborhood, but with her best writing yet, the focus is not romance like in her earlier books, it is a murder mystery.  If you think of it, who better to solve a mystery than an unassuming Desi Aunty with a knack for observations, getting people to talk, and prying into other people’s business? I say it with love, this book was such a fun read, I’m sure I should have paid more attention to craft and arcs and writing style, but honestly I devoured the 336 pages in two settings, and genuinely hope that Kausar is just getting started. The adult read isn’t salacious, it does feature a murder, some marital dramas, crime, fraud and the like, I think mature teens that aren’t bothered by a grandmother protagonist will enjoy the read. The first chapter is a bit dry and feels like an info dump, luckily it isn’t a long chapter and I ultimately, appreciated it getting the stage set and then slipping out of the way so the story could get good. The telling and not showing takes a while to flesh out, the author does a good job of threading it through, and by the mid point you really get a feel for the characters and appreciate the early statements that set the tone, and the book’s ability to tie up nearly every thread it presents.  There isn’t a ton of Islam, many of the characters are Muslim; the traditions and cultural expectations are plot beats in the story, even if the action and expectations are not overtly seen through an Islamic lens or with Islamic boundaries.  

SYNOPSIS:

Kausar Khan has always noticed things around her, and when needed, used those observations to position certain outcomes.  When she gets a call from her daughter in Toronto that she needs her mom to come help with the kids as he is wanted for murder, Kausar Khan leaves North Bay and returns to a city filled with memories of tragedy to try and help.  Sana asks her mom not to get involved and to just help with the cooking, cleaning, and childcare, but old friends, new secrets, and the high stakes of a murder are not going to keep this Aunty from unraveling the truth.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love the concept, the execution, and that it didn’t unravel at the end.  I read the last few pages with the same intensity as the climax, trying to figure out whodunit.  The play on traditions and stereotypes to lure suspects in, and the wit and charm of using the religion and culture to advance the plot were flawless.  Sure, I wish the characters threw in some commentary on men and women being alone together not being ok, or some Islamic insight into marriages and rights.  It seemed intentionally lacking, and that is unfortunate. I also felt the thread with the son coming from the UK was painfully underdeveloped, the heart of the book though was strong.  And I loved the side commentary on marriage and women’s roles.  It was insightful and added depth, it didn’t come across as angry or like the author had an axe to grind, which was refreshing.  

FLAGS: 
Murder, affairs, fraud, pyramid schemes, theft, racism, gentrification.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
The book won’t work for a school book club, but is a perfect summer read to giggle about and chat about with friends.

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.

Apr22

The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee

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The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee

With a release date of May 6, I really wanted to wait to post a review because the images are gorgeous in the electronic version, and I can only imagine how moving and captive they will be presented in a physical format, but alas I know the importance of presales and am sharing to hopefully encourage you to preorder and/or request from your library, this gorgeous 40 page OWN voice book.  A love letter to Damascus, and the sights, sounds, smells, taste, and feelings that the author remembers despite the mountains and oceans that now separate her, are lyrically shared with readers on a journey through the city. The ethereal lilting of words draw readers of all backgrounds in, and the complimentary gorgeous illustrations convey a palpable sense of beauty, love, and memories of home.  Even on a screen, they force you to get lost in their beauty. The cadence of the words allow natural pauses that tug on your eyes and draw them toward something in the images not seen before, forcing the readers and listeners alike to hesitate before turning the page.

The book starts with a little girl telling where she comes from, “the City of Jasmine,” “the Umayyad Mosque,” “Ghouta,” “Damascus,” “Qasioun,” “Qala’at Dimashq,” headers for spreads rich with poetry, wonder, and longing.

Neighborhoods of diverse families gathering, and sharing the foods that bring people together, and quiet bookshops that facilitate travel through time. Family memories built around orchards and fountains and laughter and love.  So far away from the author now, the memories are not lost, they can be touched when the scent of jasmine is “breathed in, and breathed out.”

The book concludes with an author’s note and a glossary.  Those of us who are not Syrian, and who have never been, after spending time with this book will undoubtedly be tempted to add Damascus to our bucket list of travel plans, and inshaAllah as the country rebuilds such trips will come to fruition.