Tag Archives: Family

May26

Sheba: The Good Muslim Cat by Carima Elfarrah illustrated by Aaron Yusuf

Posted on by
Standard
Sheba: The Good Muslim Cat by Carima Elfarrah illustrated by Aaron Yusuf

img_4999-1

I was really looking forward to this book about Muslims and cats.  Every masjid seems to have cats all over the world, and while feline friends often sneak into Islamic fiction books about other things, I liked the idea of giving a cat the spotlight.  Alas, the rhyming text, the examples given, the inspiration shared in the backmatter, the angel imagery, and the ambitious glossary made this small 8×8 inch 32 page picture book rather off putting and ultimately forgettable unfortunately. The cat remains at the family home, and basically just hangs out with the family when they read Quran, pray, get up for fajr, and the cat is patient when waiting for food or water.  Sure it makes it a nice cat, but with a title implying this cat is a “Good Muslim,” I really expected more.  I appreciate the hadith at the end, but it is not sourced, and the cat with a halo and wings signals Christian imagery, that doesn’t align with the tone of the book.  Additionally, the idea of the book comes from a story of a Syrian scholar who had a conversation with a cat. I’m not saying it did or did not happen, but it seems a little bit of a stretch for my cynical brain.  The book reads for toddler and preschool Muslims, but the glossary reads copy and pasted from Wikipedia for non Muslim adults.  The small size makes the book impossible for group story times, and it can be hard to read at times because the text often runs over the pictures making it hard to see.  Ultimately though, while my toddler enjoyed it well enough the first time, he has not asked for the book again despite it sitting on my side table for weeks, which is probably more insightful than my review.

The book starts with a young boy introducing his family cat, Sheba, who has sapphire eyes. The family is Muslim and the boy is confident his cat is too because she hangs around his dad when he reads Quran, she comes running when salah time comes, she plays with the imam (the dad) after the last salaam, and she waits patiently for food and water when her bowls are empty.  She cries at fajr to wake the boy up and he hopes that on the day of judgement she will attest to the good the family did for her.

The backmatter includes the story of Shiekh Shukari, a scholar in Damascus that spoke to a cat, then a two page spread glossary, and author and illustrator bios. The illustrations aren’t particularly spectacular, the boy at the beginning seems much older on some of the pages compared to others, although his clothes stay the same.  I didn’t like the angel imagery, perhaps I’m erroneous, but none-the-less it felt off to me.

May21

Birthday Kunafa by Rifk Ebeid illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

Posted on by
Standard
Birthday Kunafa by Rifk Ebeid illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

img_4902-1

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.

May11

This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed

Posted on by
Standard
This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed

burn

It is clear that this 384 page contemporary YA book is about the hot topic of burn banning in America, and I would imagine most are aware that the overwhelming number of books that have been recently banned or pulled because of objection, are by BIPOC and queer authors featuring BIPOC and queer themes and representation.  So I read it not so much to see the author’s perspective, but more to see how the Muslim author had the Muslim identifying characters in the book approach the topic.  The book is very black and white: book banning is wrong, Republican right wing MAGA members are fascist, and liberal freedom of speech supporters are LGBTQ+ identifying and allies and upholder of first amendment rights.  Islam and the character’s Indian heritage is ingrained in the characters’ being, and a label they are comfortable with, unfortunately, it has no impact on how they act, think, or the lens in which they view their world. Every 50 pages or so some vague mention of Ramadan, or a tasbeeh, or mosque appears, only to disappear just as abruptly. The Muslim protagonist, Noor, likes two different boys, is often alone with one or the other, nearly kisses both, and with the support of her family attends prom. Her younger sister, Amal, is unsure if she wants a boyfriend or a girlfriend, it is not a major part of the story and is just mentioned in passing.  A major side character is lesbian, and starts a bit of a relationship with another girl, they hold hands, and there are a few kisses on cheeks, nothing overly detailed.  There is profanity in the book, arson, threats, racism, and stereotypes.

SYNOPSIS:
Noor and her family move to a small town from Chicago when her dad abruptly abandons the family.  It is the end of Noor’s senior year, and with the grief, stress, and emotional upheaval of her family, Noor just wants to get to graduation.  Quick friendships with Faiz and Juniper, and realizing that she is the daughter of her activist parents though, thrusts her into making enemies her first week in the conservative town by questioning the school’s book banning policies. Add in her strained relationship with her mom, her conflicting feelings for Andrew and Faiz, and her sisterly concern for Amal, and Noor has a lot on her plate as she shakes up a small town.

WHY I LIKE IT:
The first chapter is incredibly written, no doubt.  I hated the dad, actually more than that, I was so disappointed in him, and so concerned for Noor, Amal and their mom.  To feel such strong emotions for characters just introduced is a testament the author’s abilities.  Sadly, insight into why their dad left never came, and  perhaps no answers is something the characters had to grapple with, but as the reader, I felt it wasn’t really explored, or articulated, it just was unresolved, and I really wanted some closure.  In terms of literary quality, the book went down hill pretty quick for me.  The middle was slow and repetitive with the heavy handed views on book banning.  Some shades of gray, or some discourse would have prodded the readers to maybe think about the implications of banning books, but the narrative never allowed for that.  It is right vs wrong, us vs them from the start.  There really is no growth of the protagonist, she doesn’t have much of a character arc, and the supporting cast is not fleshed out.  I wanted to see more of Noor and her Mom, not just be told repetitively how absent she is, I wanted to see Faiz as a full person, not just the only other brown Muslim at the school and who likes to cook. Where are his parents, do they support his activism, that he is going to prom? Truly, there is no Islam in practice it is just a label that gets dropped when it furthers the notion of raging against an established bias system.  I’m not saying they need to be praying and reading Quran on every page, but I don’t know that the story would be much different if the family was not Muslim Indian American. Really the catalyst is that they are a new family, and a visible minority.

FLAGS:

Straight and LGBTQ+ relationships, arson, threats, stereotypes, racism, bullying, cursing.

May6

Our World: Pakistan by Rumaisa Bilal illustrated by Nez Riaz

Posted on by
Standard
Our World: Pakistan by Rumaisa Bilal illustrated by Nez Riaz

img_4412-1

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.

img_4413-1

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.

img_4415-1

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.

img_4416-1

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.

img_4418-1

You can preorder your copy here

img_4417-1

May2

Call Me Al by Wali Shah and Eric Walters

Posted on by
Standard
Call Me Al by Wali Shah and Eric Walters

albook

I feel like I should have really liked this 264 page book: OWN voice, Muslim, MG, Pakistani, author is poet laureate for the City of Mississauga, Ontario, co authored by a prolific YA writer, but it unfortunately reads inconsistent and unpolished.  The characters at the beginning and their relationships with one another don’t read consistent with who they are in the middle.  Sure the character arcs from the middle to the end are nice, but it feels really disjointed from the first quarter of the book.  There are parts that feel so rushed, and other parts that are heavy handed with the preaching and the moral lessoning that I found myself skimming whole pages.  He says his family isn’t that “religious,” but Islam is centered with quotes from “the Prophet” (no salawat given, only a few times Prophet Muhammad is mentioned to identify which Prophet is being quoted) and “Imam Ali” (who the protagonist is named after), yet Al telling a girl he likes her is no problem at all.  He fasts because he has to, but tells his younger brother it is ok to sneak food, and the grandfather gives a whole speech on how the purpose of fasting is to feel empathy for the poor (face palm, in case you don’t know, it is a commandment of Allah swt).  I really struggled with how “Whites” are seen as opposites to “Muslims,” there is some push back with quotes from Malcom X on his hajj experience, but I didn’t feel like the character really ever accepted that Islam is a religion for all people, and White is a skin color.  Honestly the book reads like an early 2000 memoir.  I know it is fiction, but the cultural be-a-doctor-nothing-else-matters-stereotypes, and Islamophobic talking points that feel performative for a Western gaze, combine with a very unlikable arrogant protagonist, and result in a book that was difficult to connect with and get through.

SYNOPSIS:
Al, short for Ali does everything perfect, he has perfect grades, always listens to his parents, and respects the rules.  The book opens with him sneaking off campus with friends for lunch at the mall where he is caught by his grandfather, who seems incredibly strict, but later is the soft spot in a firm family.  His parents have moved to Canada from Pakistan, his mom used to be a teacher, but now takes care of their apartment building, his father was a physician and now drives a taxi.  It is non negotiable that Al will be a physician when he grows up.  The middle child of all brothers, his older brother Sam, short for Osama, has set the bar very high with his valedictorian status in high school, scholarships to start college, and student of the year award in middle school.  Al is in 8th grade and is expected to follow in his footsteps.  When Al’s crush on Melissa results in him writing a poem about her, he realizes he likes the written word to express himself.  His father thinks poetry is a waste of time. With a teacher that encourages creative writing, Islamophobia and hate crimes hitting close to home, and Al coming of age, the story focuses on Al’s 8th grade year as he discovers his own identity, with some help from his friends and the month of Ramadan.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that his friends really pushed back on him to own some of his internalized Islamophobia.  Zach is probably the most fleshed out character, and his humor, his teacher crush, his ability to apologize and make things right, is really the heart of the book.  It contrasts so greatly to how I feel about Al.  By the end he was ok, but at the beginning, his arrogance is obnoxious. I get that he is bright and a hard worker, but, yikes, he needs some humbleness.  The supporting characters are rather flat.  Al’s crush Melissa is shallow and only desired for her appearance, Dad is strict and demanding, not in an abusive way, but in a cold undeveloped way, mom is idyllic and supportive, and Ms. McIntosh is the driving motivator for Al. The other characters do little to flesh out the main players which is unfortunate.  I think some depth would have shown Al more rounded. His so called friends don’t know he is Muslim or what he eats, but they are friends, not just classmates, seems off and lacking.  The grandfather gives all the teachable moments, he starts off stern, and then is not, and the transition is jarring.  He speaks in quotes and lessons, and if it were quirky, it might help the flow of the book, but he really is the Islamic conscience of the book so to speak, but we know so little about him and his relationship with Al.

I didn’t like how fasting and Ramadan were presented. Al is embarrassed by fasting and being different.  I like that it says the family goes to the mosque, not sure why masjid wasn’t used, but there are no Muslim friends and no praying, so it has no real impact, which furthers the feeling that it is performative.  Al doesn’t seem to consider faith or culture until others question him about it, which is a missed opportunity to give Muslim kids a mirror to see themselves in the characters.  There are chapters of the book that really are wonderfully written, they just are sadly too far and few between.

FLAGS:

Crushes, Islamophobia, physical and verbal assault, racism, classism, bullying, lying, sneaking out, discussion of partition violence including great grandfather being killed. The book though, aside from the crush thread at the start and end, is quite clean, and the crush is pretty innocent.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I wouldn’t seek out this book for a classroom shelf, but if it was in the library I would leave it.  I don’t think most kids would pick it up and make it past the first 25 pages though, Al is really unlikeable at the start.

Apr30

Muhammad’s Recipe for Remembering By Maidah Ahmad illustrated by Shruti Prabhu

Posted on by
Standard
Muhammad’s Recipe for Remembering By Maidah Ahmad illustrated by Shruti Prabhu

img_4274-1

I feel like the idea and heart of this 40 page picture book is decent, but the story, presentation and takeaway are just really poorly executed.  The pitch is a Muslim Desi kid feeling left out when all his friends are rehearsing for the upcoming veterans assembly because he doesn’t have anything to share.  He then starts asking his family, and the Muslims and non Muslims hanging out at the mosque to find out about Muslim and Indian involvement in the World Wars.  A rarely explored topic, considering in the West WWI and WWII are taught from a Western centric perspective, no doubt.  Unfortunately, most early elementary readers, the book’s target audience is 4-7, have limited knowledge of the World Wars, let alone about the subcontinents own politics and that they were occupied themselves under colonial rule at the time, and this book does nothing to explain any of it.  The inconsistencies, plot holes, vocabulary and ultimate lack of sharing a single story from a descendant of someone who fought, make the book rather pointless and forgettable.  Truly the take away is that there were Muslims among the Indian army, they made roti and prayed.  No real idea what they experienced, saw, endured, or gained in return for being forced to fight for Britain on the global stage.

img_4275-2-1

The book starts with Muhammad listening in to his classmates talk about their family members that are veterans and him feeling left out.  At recess they don’t let him battle in the reenactments and instead make him be the cook. When he gets home his dad is making rotis and Muhammad asks his dad if they have veterans in their family, they then go ask his grandfather if his great great grandfather fought in either World Wars.  Dada jaan recalls that “they sent my grandfather to France in World War One.”  But he never spoke about it except to mention that they shared rotis.  He suggests they go to the mosque the next night as that is where, “a kaleidoscope of people gather.” He learns from a Sikh uncle in a turban that whole villages went to fight and from Imam Rafiq that the soldiers fasted in Ramadan, prayed, and celebrated Eid.  No one has any visible tokens of their family’s service as they were lost over time.  Determined not to let the stories be lost, Muhammad shares roti at the assembly.

img_4277-1

Ok, buckle up, I have a lot to point out, but first the positive.  I like that the dad makes rotis.  Mom isn’t in the book, but there are a lot of pictures of a lady hanging on the walls of the house, so possibly she has passed and dad has to cook, no matter, it is nice seeing a Desi dad in the kitchen.  I also like that the mosque is central to the story, I wish it was called a masjid, and that it was explained why people that are not Muslim are hanging out there.  Brown people are generally lumped together and this seems to reinforce that stereotype, which makes me less than thrilled.  It seems like a social environment with ping pong tables and snacks happening, so why not say it is a social hall at the masjid where people of all faiths often gather.  A “kaleidoscope of people” does not explain people of different religions at a mosque to most four year olds.  The book claims the assembly is honoring veterans, so why is Muhammad only curious about WWI and WWII is never explained.  He is teased and forced to be the cook by his friends, with a very negative connotations and depiction in the illustration, but that notion is never pushed back upon, and is actually heightened with rotis being the thread that ties the entire book together.  A missed opportunity to be sure.

img_4279-1

I really struggle with the reality that the majority of Indians were forced to fight, and the book keeps it vague in the text with lines such as “joined the war effort,” and “they sent..” who is they? It sounds nice that Muhammad doesn’t want the stories, like the artifacts to be lost, but WHAT STORIES? If the book is about remembering, and stories are to be shared at the assembly, I feel short changed that the reader doesn’t get a single story about a Muslim or Indian that fought in one of the World Wars.  Isn’t that the point of the book? Yes the book has sources at the end, but it is fictionalized, make up a story, give the reader and Muhammad something to take pride in, to understand through, to imagine, what it was like for his great great grandfather.

img_4280-1

I struggled with the illustrations as well, Imam Rafiq looks off in the final image, I don’t get why Dada jaans memories seem to be on the TV either.  I also didn’t understand why rotis were the thread, but then it is paratha at breakfast that gives the idea, and who really is constantly spreading ghee on paratha or roti let alone at war, or at recess.

img_4278-1

War is not a trivial matter, and I kind of feel like this book reduced it to food, and allowed some racism, classism, and  Islamophobia, to go unchecked along the way.  I like that the backmatter has a recipe and an author’s note, but colonialism, service, war, are all heavy topics that are hard to bring down to an early elementary level picture book, and sadly this book is unable to connect and inform readers about this time in history.

Apr26

Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of the Bosnian Genocide by Amra Sabic-El-Reyess with Laura L. Sullivan

Posted on by
Standard
Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of the Bosnian Genocide by Amra Sabic-El-Reyess with Laura L. Sullivan

three summers

It is difficult and probably rather inappropriate for me to offer a “review” of a memoir, after all who am I to have opinions on someone’s lived experience.  And this non fiction book in particular is so desperately needed and important, as OWN voice middle grade literature about Bosnia is fairly non existent. So continue reading my thoughts with a grain of salt, suffice it to say, that I enjoyed the book, and loved the author’s YA book The Cat I Never Named, but ultimately I struggle to suggest this for the intended audience of 8-12 year olds.  As a child my family was involved with Bosnian refugees in the 90s, as an adult I understand that Islam, and being Muslim, is not a monolith, as someone who can empathize with loss and heartache, I couldn’t put the book down.  Yet, I truly doubt that many fourth graders will feel the emotional climaxes that are not shown, but told.  That they will understand the timeline and what is about to happen if the book were to continue.  That they will feel a connection to the characters who read so much older than them.  If the book was fiction, I would say the characters read YA, with the bikinis and details of body growth, kissing, making out, having boyfriends, and dancing at the discotheque, cigarette smoking, backless dresses, noting which neighbors are having affairs, and trying to become their “truest self,” but the book is a memoir, this is the author’s life when she was 11, 12, and 13.  In an environment where her maturity is noted as being heightened because of the loss of her brother and her personality, the book shows cultural norms, that will still strike contemporary reader as being much more adult in nature. Islamically, the label of Muslim and Bosniaks, is ever present.  Bosniaks were massacred for being Muslim, period.  The book never shows them praying, or mentions Allah swt or the Quran, covering is something only the older generations did, they do drink alcohol on occasion, but they have a cow slaughtered Islamically and burials are done in accordance with Islamic principles.  There is kissing, having boyfriends is not problematic unless they are Serb, the only imam mentioned does weird black magic type things.  So while the label of “Muslim” may feel to Muslims readers more like a cultural marker at times, it is none-the-less incredibly empowering to see that Amra takes pride in her Bosniak identity and doesn’t shy away from it. Other flags/triggers are domestic abuse, bullying, physical violence, attempted drowning, accidental drowning, death of a sibling, kidnapping, imprisonment, threat of war, racism, Islamophobia, music, fortune tellers, lying, threatening.  The backmatter offers a timeline and thus gives some information about the rape, torture, genocide, abuse, and destruction.

SYNOPSIS:

The book starts with a visiting fortune teller giving Amra and her family hope that her older brother Amar will be pain free soon. Amar suffers from Marfan syndrome, and is frequently weak, teased, and in pain.  But he is also wise and patient, brilliant and gentle, and beloved by so many, and Amra is broken when he passes away.  To help break her from her debilitating grief, her parents reach out to a cousin in Belgrade, who has long been estranged for marrying a Serb, to come visit for the summer.  Zana and her younger sister Vedrana, engulf Amra in warmth and adventure and the summer on the River Una is just what Amra needs.  The next summer Zana and Amra resume their idyllic adventures of swimming, make-up, crushes, and coming of age, with only a hint of fracture based on religious lines creeping in the final days.  The following summer Amra is starting to mature on her own and understand the world around her.  Her father has lost his job, been kidnapped essentially and tortured, and while nights dancing at the discotheque give laughter and light, the girls final summer, is the end of peace, and innocence for all Bosniaks.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love the end, that there are real life updates of the people in the book.  It made me cry.  It is also so timely to what is occurring in Gaza and how no matter how clear it is that it is genocide, and it is oppression, and it is racism, some just cannot see it.  The book is joyful, but the reality of the backmatter is heavy, and real, and important.

I like that the book shows Bosnia and the culture and the traditions, the few books I’ve read focus on the war, and the rich culture and deep history doesn’t get to shine like it does here.

I do wish the book was more showing than telling.  I know it is a memoir, but at times it was just too advanced commentary and insight.  I fully believe the author is brilliant, and at 11 years old was pondering her life, but most readers just aren’t at that age, and the tangents keep the readers at arms length.  The book says it is about crushes, so I don’t want to keep harping on it, but it really is Amra and Zana and a gaggle of other female cousins quite often worrying about boys, and crushes, and kissing.  It doesn’t get obnoxious, but it isn’t a line here or there, it is the bulk of the book.

FLAGS:

Domestic abuse, bullying, physical violence, attempted drowning, accidental drowning, death of a sibling, kidnapping, imprisonment, threat of war, racism, Islamophobia, music, fortune tellers, lying, threatening, death, loss, grief, affairs, cheating, racism, bare bodies, crude jokes, crushes, kissing, making out, sneaking out, smoking, drinking, developing bodies, bullying, internalized Islamophobia, kidnapping, imprisonment, dancing, black magic imams.  The backmatter offers a timeline and thus gives some information about the rape, torture, genocide, abuse, starvation, and destruction during the Bosnian genocide.

img_4254-1

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I think with some context about war, about communism, the Ottoman empire even, this book could be used in a teaching setting to allow the time frame to be seen from those living it, but, for more mature middle school to early high school readers.  It is a lot for MG and that it is non fiction makes me want it to be understood and appreciated and I don’t know that for the intended demographic, even with context and guidance it would be achieved. There really isn’t a plot, it is a memoir, and the pacing and assumed context knowledge I feel like, just wouldn’t be there for the typical western middle grade reader.

Apr23

Awe-Samosas! by Marzieh Abbas illustrated by Bhagya Madanasighe

Posted on by
Standard
Awe-Samosas! by Marzieh Abbas illustrated by Bhagya Madanasighe

img_4196-1

I was really enjoying this book about a determined young girl and her dad making samosas for friends, missing Dadijan, adapting and problem solving, an encouraging Urdu speaking parrot, a reference to Ramadan, and incredible illustrations… and then I froze.  On page 32 of the 40 page book it says the word “pepperoni” clearly affirming that the Muslim girl who’s dupatta wearing Dadijan wakes up at fajr to call her, has made pepperoni pizza samosas for her friends.  Perhaps I’m over reacting, it is one word, but I truly cannot get past it.  The first time I recall asserting myself as Muslim was in preschool making pizzas and me telling my teacher at three and half years old that I cannot eat pepperoni.  Sure as a middle aged adult, I know you can get beef or turkey or faux pepperoni, but the standard is pork, and this book does not clarify that it is not pork.  The word is intentional, the story would be exactly the same if it were just a cheesy pizza samosa, yet it articulates it as a peperoni pizza samosa. And I truly cannot fathom why.  Classrooms and libraries will shelve this book, teachers and librarians will read this book, little Muslim kids that look like Noor, are going to shrink when they get to that line: either they will question if we can have pepperoni (why else was it in Noor’s home), or have to now convince adults and classmates that the book is wrong in addition to explaining that Muslims do not eat pork, a big task for the intended audience of preschool to third grade.  If you omit that one word, the book is wonderful, layered, joyful, and a lot of fun.

Noor’s friends are coming over, two girls and a boy, for the first time and Noor wants to make samosas to eat with them.  It is too early to call Dadijaan in Pakistan, and Noor thinks she remembers how to make them.  Abbu offers to order pizza, but Noor is determined, even when she discovers they don’t have the necessary ingredients.  She puts on Dadijaan’s kitchen dupatta, and with her parrot, Mithoo, encouraging her every time she gets stuck with “Sab theek hai. Sab theek Hoga! Everything’s great, everything’s going to be okay!” Noor heads to plan B, Awe-Samosas, samosas with unique fillings.

img_4197-1

Noor gets Abbu onboard and helping and when her friends arrive, the turmeric colored pastries are ready for eating.  Some are apple-cinnamon filled, and remind Kaitlin of her grandma’s Fourth of July apple-pie, some are stuffed with honey and pistachio like baklava according to Layla, and Jonathan finds the cheesy peperoni samosa genius.  When Dadijaan sees the pictures Abbu has sent at fajr, she calls and praises Noor with the friends hoping to have another samosa party when she is visiting next.

The book concludes with Dadijaan’s Special Samosa Recipe, and a Glossary.  The book is widely available, including here on Amazon.

img_4200-1

Apr20

The Magical Moroccan Rug by Naveed Mir illustrated by Anisa Mohammad

Posted on by
Standard
The Magical Moroccan Rug by Naveed Mir illustrated by Anisa Mohammad

img_4186-1

I really like the premise of the book, a Muslim Magic Tree House so to speak, two kids that magically go back in time, in this case to Andalucía. At times the book did make me smile, but really it feels like a missed opportunity.  The writing needs tightening, it feels early reader at 94 pages long with a few full page illustrations, but the vocabulary and text filled pages support the suggested reading level of middle grade.  It takes way too long to build up to the “action,” and when it gets to the plot it doesn’t seem to know what to do with itself.  It is a lot of walking this way only to turn around and walk back for no development, character growth, or enriching reason.  As an adult I had to force myself to keep reading, my eight year old who loves Magic Tree House books had basic foundational questions and couldn’t’ get past page 24.  Honestly it just needed some proof reading and some trimming, which is why I found it so frustrating; it really had so much potential.  Example, if the little boy is so excited to see his grandfather after 8 years, why didn’t he go with his dad to the airport, why did his elderly tired grandfather immediately go to a community event after arriving in the UK from Morocco, why wouldn’t Yusuf go with his beloved grandfather to the masjid.  And this is all within the first few pages.  If the logic isn’t there for the mundane set-up, it is hard to get on board for the fantasy aspect of a flying carpet going back in time.  The historical figures are introduced in passing and don’t leave much of an impression, so yes it is good to give readers a bit of information on people they may not have heard of before, but it doesn’t give them enough connection to make them memorable.  The backmatter sadly is not more information about the three historical figures presented: Abdur Rahman (The Falcon of Andalus), Lubna of Cordoba, and Abbas Ibn Firnas, it is a glossary and a Quick Quiz.  The answers to the quiz are not provided, there are additional facts shared but no sources given, and there is urging to find out more about Muslim Spain, but no directions, links, or book suggestions are provided.  The publisher should have proofed the book, it reads like a pitch, maybe a first draft, and our children and their purchasing adults deserve better.  We have growing options of stories with historical Islamic OWN voice framing, and unfortunately this book had a lot of potential, a few pages of interest, but not ultimately enough intrigue to win me, or my kids over.

img_4187-1

SYNOPSIS:

Yusuf and his friend Jack live in the same neighborhood, but don’t go to the same school.  They spend a lot of time together though, and have known each other since they were babies.  When Yusuf’s grandfather comes to visit from Morocco, he brings an old carpet and gifts it to his 10 year old grandson.  Unsure what to do with it, Yusuf puts it in his room, and feigns gratitude.  With a history project looming, and a dislike for historical study, Yusuf and Jack find themselves heading on a magic carpet ride into the past.

They arrive in Cordoba in 856 CE, disoriented and dizzy, Omar, their guide, greets them, walks them through the mosque answers one question then walks them back to the carpet to take them to a different time, 786 CE and they see diverse people living together peacefully.  They first observe “one of the greatest rulers that Andalus ever had,” The Falcon of Andalus, aka Abdur Rahman.  He is a humble leader that freely interacts with his subjects.  They then head to the 10th century to see Lubna with a crowd of scholars in Cordoba  learning from her in the library.

When Yusuf remembers his history project about flight, Umar guides them to 875 CE with a pit stop in CE 852 to see Abbas Ibn Firnas take flight, well fail and then eventually take flight in 875.  The boys then say their goodbyes and are whisked away home. Where they can’t believe what transpired, and are determined to figure out how to make it happen again.

img_4188-1

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like the concept, and that Jack is not Muslim, and Yusuf is unapologetically Muslim.  Seeing the two interact is enjoyable and both good modeling, and mirroring.  The heart of the book is truly not bad, it is the tangents that get long winded for no advancement of the story that take away from the flow.  As stated above the relationship between Yusuf and his grandfather doesn’t align with what is said and what is shown.  The end suffers the same lack of editing.  How can grandpa and Yusuf live in the same home, but they can never find a moment to talk.  Nothing is gained by delaying their conversation, so why delay it, and go on and on about delaying it?

If the point is to share not just with Yusuf and Jack about key historical figures, but with also the reader.  Then there needs to be more interaction with the characters, not just watching them from afar.  Interact with other observers or students or colleagues, convey information from a “personal level” not just drop a snippet here or there from what feels like a vague Wikipedia page.  If the book is not sourced, why not take some fictional liberties and flesh out Abbas, Lubna and Abdur Rahman, so that they are remembered. Include more information about the three real characters in the backmatter, reinforce the idea that a magic carpet is not real, but these remarkable people were, and they changed the world.

I don’t know that kids will have issues with how the carpet worked, but because the set up was so weak, I had a hard time going along with any of it.  I wanted to know why it had to be a grandson, not a son or daughter, how grandpa or his grandpa figured that out when it wasn’t a relative that gave the first Yusuf the carpet, but a storyteller.  How Umar knew to look for them at that moment.  Why did they go to 856 CE and then go to 786 CE why couldn’t they just meet Umar on the first stop? Seems unnecessarily dragged out, for no reason.  When was grandpa’s last trip? Could you get stuck out of your time? If no one can see or feel the rug, why do they keep hiding it? Can people see and hear them, or only their guide?

I like that Yusuf prays and Jack knows that Yusuf prays, and what a mosque is.   I didn’t like that they hear the athan, and went with everyone to pray, but then just left without praying.  The book seemed to do that a few times.  Have the kids walk through a crowd presumably toward something or for some purpose only to turn around and return to the place of origin having gained nothing, learned nothing, or seen anything, again just drags the book out and frustrates readers.

There really is not conflict in the book, no climax either, there is no really stress about getting back, stress about figuring out how to go on the next adventure, it is there, but not heightened, and it is unfortunate, because the book really could be adventure filled, and it just isn’t.

img_4189-1

FLAGS:
None

img_4190-1

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
If you are learning about Abbas Ibn Firnas, or Lubna, or The Falcon of Andalus or Spain, and have access to supplemental material, the book has value.  I don’t know that if a kid picked it up off the shelf even with interest in history, that they would finish reading the book.  It doesn’t provide a solid feeling of learning or understanding about the time and place and people seen in the time travels, nor is it action packed on its own.  So if you can motivate a child to read it and then look further into it, the book would help connect the past as being interesting and engaging, but on its own, the book does not achieve that.

Apr8

Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Changed Basketball by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir with Judith Henderson illustrated by Katherine Ahmed

Posted on by
Standard
Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Changed Basketball by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir with Judith Henderson illustrated by Katherine Ahmed

This nonfiction picture book memoir is about Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir’s love of basketball, accomplishments, and ultimate decision to choose her hijab over her career.  For elementary readers the 40 page book reads like a story, and shows what it means to work hard, be talented, stay true to yourself, and be willing to fight for what you believe in.  As the Massachusetts State high school basketball scoring record holder and the first NCAA hijab wearing Muslim basketball player, she was forced to leave the fight on the court and instead fight to change the rules regarding headgear for women playing international professional basketball.  She won the fight, but unfortunately it was too late for her, she now advocates for Muslim girls in sports to not have to choose to cover or play.

The book has a flow as it starts from her being born into a basketball family, and shooting hoops at three.  She plays with her brothers with her grandma, Mudgie, always cheering her on.  Her mother’s strength grounds her and at age 12 she puts on her mother’s hijab and heads out to play ball.

At 14 she is wearing her own hijab and playing on the high school team, her hijab is her super power, and reminder to be fierce, faithful, and kind. When the ref halts the game and says she can’t wear her hijab, her team stands with her, until the game resumes.

She gets a full scholarship to the University of Memphis and plays her final season at Indiana State.  She meets President Obama and beats him in a game.  When she decides to play international though, again she gets told she can’t unless she removes her hijab. She chooses her faith, and when she finally gets the ban overturned, it is too late for her, but not for other Muslim girls.

The book concludes with some photographs, additional information, discussion questions, and places to discover more.  I appreciate that it shows her praying, but I wish it gave just a little insight as to why Muslim women cover, why it is part of our faith.

I found my copy at the library, it is available to purchase here.