I’ve seen this book reviewed and promoted on social media.  I’ve even read the reviews.  Yet for some reason I thought the book was a refugee story. It is not.  It is a family’s trip out on a boat interwoven with what they see and ayats from the Quran.  It can be read as a simple straight forward story, or the interspersed ayats can be paused for and discussed.  Honestly the book probably will not be asked for multiple times by young children, but as a teacher, librarian, parent, you are going to reach for this book quite often.  It is a book that can be used in story times about Allah’s creation, the ocean, science, experiences, and the signs that help us know Allah swt.  And for that reason I wish the book was larger.  It is great for bedtime, but the 9 x 9 size makes it cumbersome for story times, even for small groups.  Technology can help, but I really just wish it was a bit bigger to enjoy the simple illustrations and increase the sense of wonder Raisah feels upon the vast ocean.

The book starts with Raisah, Mama, and Papa getting on a boat and heading out on the ocean.  They observe the water getting darker the further they go out, the saltiness of sea water compared to river and lake water, and then they turn off the engine and pull out their fishing rods.

They joke about what they will catch while dropping the fact for readers about the blue whale being the biggest creature in the ocean, before a cargo ship catches their attention and they marvel at transportation opportunities on the sea.

There are seven ayats from the Quran included in the 28 page book and the surah number and ayat are sourced.  The book can be ordered here from Crescent Moon where code ISL saves you 10% at checkout or here from Amazon.