Tag Archives: early elementary

Mar2

You Can Control Your Voice: Loud or Quiet? You Choose the Ending by Connie Colwell Miller illustrated by Victoria Assanelli

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You Can Control Your Voice: Loud or Quiet? You Choose the Ending by Connie Colwell Miller illustrated by Victoria Assanelli

 

you can controlA choose your own adventure picture book, that doesn’t have anything Islamic specific, doesn’t seem to be written by a Muslim or illustrated by a Muslim, and that was found at the public library, starring a Muslim mom and daughter.  Oh hurrah for beautiful illustrations, teachable moments, volume control in a library and the fun to read the story and have control over what happens next.

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This 24 page book meant for kids in kindergarten to second or third grade is part of a series featuring diverse characters learning universal manners and making good choices. To see Muslims represent a universal lesson in a relatable environment is a great way to normalize seeing women in hijab in real life.

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Haneen and her mom are at the library, and Haneen finds a book about fairies and cannot contain her excitement.  Immediately the reader has to choose what Haneen does next.  If she stays loud, the story ends rather quickly, but if she tries to keep her voice down, she might get to stay at the library a little longer.

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There is a big test when she sees a friend, and disturbs a gentlemen working on the computer, but if you make good choices Haneen gets to check out two books.  If your choices aren’t ideal you might have to just get the fairy book and get out, and if you really struggle to know how loud or quiet to be, you’ll have to come back another day and try again.

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At the end of the book are some things to think about, to drive the point home.  I love the line, “We are all free to make choices, but choices have consequences.”  A great lesson for little ones, and a great reminder for older readers too.

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The book is 9×8 and the expressions on the characters faces make the book a great option for circle time, story time, bedtime, and just to have on hands for kids to thumb through and enjoy.  Well done!

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Dec23

Ibn Yunus: The Father of Astronomy by Ahmed Imam

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Ibn Yunus: The Father of Astronomy by Ahmed Imam

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This book is part of a new Muslim Scientist Series featuring 24 glossy colorful 8×8 pages highlighting a great Muslim from the Golden Age of Islam.  Meant for Muslim children ages 4-7, the book sets out to teach and inspire little Muslims, and does a pretty decent job of presenting it in a memorable easy to understand way.  Adults might have to explain and help out a bit, but the book accounts for that too.

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The book starts off with some “Notes to Parents and Teachers” about supplemental activities and conversation starters to make the book relevant, and show how beneficial their contributions to science were and still are today.

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The book is a simplified biography of Ibn Yunus, and I would imagine the other books: Ibn Majid, Ibn Battuta, Ibn Al-Batar, follow the same pattern.  It tells about where he was born and when, and what he is famous for, before telling a bit about his family, an ayat from the Quran that inspired him is then given in English and Arabic and translated, before it shows how he worked toward his goal, and the accomplishments he made in his lifetime that still are used today.

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The fun illustrations make Ibn Yunus’s field of study easier to understand and will keep the littler listeners interested.  Adults will hopefully also learn something in the reading, and feel the same pride and inspiration of Muslim’s contributions to science.

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It is critical to teach our children about the accomplishments and discoveries of Muslims, and this non fiction series is a great introduction to Muslim scientists, scholars, and adventurers, that they might not otherwise learn about.

Oct7

Little People, Big Dreams: Muhammad Ali by Isabel Sanchez Vegara illustrated by Brosmind

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Little People, Big Dreams: Muhammad Ali by Isabel Sanchez Vegara illustrated by Brosmind

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A few things surprised me in this latest addition to the non fiction biography series Little People, Big Dreams. First that a police officer told him to learn how to fight if he wanted to face the thief that stole his bike.  Second, that the 32 page book targeting 5 to 8 year old children has an AR level of 4.8 and finally that it does mention his conversion to Islam and shows him praying.

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The biography hits a lot of major milestones in the boxer’s life after showing he once was a little kid too.  He was born in Kentucky, had a younger brother and after his bicycle was stolen he started learning how to box.  He wasn’t the strongest fighter, but he was fast.

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He won a gold medal at the Olympics in Rome, and then set his sights on being a professional boxer and becoming the world heavyweight champion.  Its nice that on this page the illustrations show that part of that pursuit involved physical training but the books and meditation show internal growth was valued and pursued as well.

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It shows how he used to taunt his opponents and that some thought it poetry, while other’s thrash talk. It also makes it clear that he used his voice to speak out for things important to him at a time when it was dangerous and accepted the consequences, whether it was African American rights or the war.

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The page about him becoming Muslim explains that he was inspired by Islam, changed his name and “felt strong and proud to be himself.”  After his ban from boxing, he won the heavyweight belt three times before retiring and dedicating his life to community and giving back.

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The book ends with a timeline and some real pictures of Muhammad Ali, along with some other books you can turn to for more information.  The illustrations are comical yet detailed in their emotion and the information that is conveyed.  Kids will enjoy them and find they give life to the simple text on the pages.

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I got my copy from the library and my children aged 4-12 enjoyed the book as they have the other books in the series.

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May20

Paradise is Oh So Nice (Islamic Edition) by Halimah Bashir illustrated by Laila Ramadhani Ritonga

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Paradise is Oh So Nice (Islamic Edition) by Halimah Bashir illustrated by Laila Ramadhani Ritonga

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This adorably illustrated 40 page rhyming book about jannah explores just how generous and amazing the ultimate goal of obtaining paradise can be, as seen from a child’s perspective.  Preschool and up will enjoy the illustrations and cadence the book tries to adhere to, as well as the silly manifestations of everything and anything the characters in the book can imagine.

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According to the publisher, Prolance, there are two versions of the book: “In the Islamic edition, we’ve included verbiage that relates to the Muslim audiences, added a fun Quran search activity & a song!”  Additionally, the word Allah is written in Arabic and there is an ayat from the Quran at the beginning of the book.

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There isn’t really a story it is more a glorified list of all the things you could have (inshaAllah) in paradise.   The set-up is a mom discussing it with her two small children at bedtime. The book doesn’t give too much information about what you have to do to get to heaven aside from mentioning being patient and being believers.

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The book surprisingly does a pretty good job of not getting too silly or carried away with it self.  It manages to include that there will be rivers made of milk and honey, that there are levels of jannah, that there will be castles and we will know which is ours, and that the greatest gift will be to see Allah swt.

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Naturally, it seems with every kids book about heaven, the majority anyway, focus a ton on food, this one does branch out a bit from the dreams of ice cream mountains  and curly fries for hair, to flowers growing shoes and dinosaurs for pets, but not a whole lot.

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The book is fun, but with most Prolance books it seems, the price is a bit steep.  The book is hardback, the inside pages are not glossy, but have a decent weight and feel to them.  The 8.5 x 8.5 pages make it work better for bedtime than a large group as the illustrations are the best part of the book and they are pretty detailed and small in places.

May13

Allah Made Everything: The Song Book by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Azra Momin

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Allah Made Everything: The Song Book by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Azra Momin

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I’ve reviewed a few song books over the years and often don’t love them, this one however, is awesome!  This 30 page hardbound 9×9 book is a great size for toddlers and up, the only thing hard about the book is reading the words and not singing them.

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The text is large and easy to read as it dances around the pages.  It follows the song exactly, just not the repeating lines.

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Each stanza tells a bit about an animal, and the animal answers who created them.  The chorus is that Allah is our creator and some attributes.

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The back of the book says for ages five and up, and yes some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced, but the general feel and point of the book is appropriate for little ones and the pictures will keep the littles engaged as well.

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The bright colorful illustrations are playful and fun.  They make the book able to stand alone even by chance you have never heard the song, or had it stuck in your head for days.

The book recently came out and it appears that they have plans to turn other songs of Zain Bhikha’s into books, which inshaAllah will be just as enjoyable and faith reinforcing as this one.  Special thanks to http://www.crescentmoonstore.com for their friendly service when I purchased the book. https://crescentmoonstore.com/products/allah-made-everything

May11

Grandpa and Grandma Come to Stay by Asma Zaman illustrated by Azra Momin

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Grandpa and Grandma Come to Stay by Asma Zaman illustrated by Azra Momin

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This slim, paperback book, is actually really sweet and colorful.  It doesn’t look like much at just 14 pages, but the minimal text conveys a good message of helping elders in the home, and can easily be extended to helping those in the community.  I think this is a great book for 3 to 5 year old.  Little ones will get ideas on what they can do, and new readers will feel accomplished when they turn the last page.

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Little brothers, Muhammed and Musa, are waiting for their grandparents to arrive and are confused when their daddy reminds them to be helpful, since they are little and their grandparents are adults.  The parents explain how getting old is hard to the boys and give them ideas of how they can help.   Once they arrive, the boys spring in to action by helping them unpack, getting Grandma her walking stick, and even helping grandpa find his missing teeth.  They especially love when they help put out the prayer rugs for salat.

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The pictures are simple yet well done.  The women wear hijab, not just the mom and grandma, but the doctor too.  Gender roles are depicted well too, the dad takes his parents grocery shopping, is shown helping in the kitchen, and serves the tea.

I really think if you have elder family, it is a great book to introduce what changes and what responsibilities the little ones can help with.  With my own children it was a good reminder and conversation starter that they need to keep toys off the floor so no one trips, they need to listen the first time to whatever they are asked by the elders to do, and that they need to sometimes even help them walk, or slow their gate.  If you don’t have grandparents in the home, it can extend to people at the mosque, with kids helping get chairs, or even at the grocery store in being mindful of holding doors open and helping return carts.