Tag Archives: Fun

May10

Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt! by Rukhsana Khan illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

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Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt! by Rukhsana Khan illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

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This adorable 32 page book is noisy and colorful and forces you to smile.  Granted I had dreams as a child of being a rickshaw driver, and even as a teen my father tried to arrange for me to take one for a spin early one hot Karachi morning, but alas, my dreams never came to fruition.  Cue the power of books, to take you right back to those busy streets, boisterous noises, colorful vehicles, and happy memories.  Even if you have never ridden in a rickshaw, or heard of one, this book is a fun adventure for toddlers and up as they catch a ride with Ibraheem, his Baba, his cat Mitu, and learn the language of the road and how to make room for everyone.  “Big and small, short and tall, everyone shares the road.” The book is by a Muslim author, and their are visible Muslim women with their heads covered in the illustrations.  There is nothing religion, country, or city specific in the text. 

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The book starts with Ibraheem and Mitu joining Baba on an important mission.  Baba is a rickshaw driver and he reminds Ibraheem that everyone has to share the road.  With his little rickshaw going “putter put,” the trio are off.  With a  “beep, beep” Baba tries to turn, but a little car responds, “honk, honk,” and in a hurry speeds ahead.  

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Up hills and down, a big colorful bus joins the road with a “toot, toot” as they go over the bridge, under the bridge, through a cricket game, all sharing the road.  A big truck joins the fun with a “rumble, rumble” and it isn’t long before they all come to a screeching halt.

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“Big and small, short and tall, everyone shares the road,” really means everyone as the mission is completed.

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The backmatter is an author’s note about her experiences of vehicles “talking” to each other.  The book comes out in September and is available for preorder/order, here,

 

Mar24

The Monkey, The Cow, and the Wolf (The Song Book) by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Amir Al-Zubi and Azra Momin

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The Monkey, The Cow, and the Wolf (The Song Book) by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Amir Al-Zubi and Azra Momin

I was wondering when the book version of this song was going to be released.  It is a beloved at our house, and when the book arrived, I don’t know if the 4 year old or 13 year old was more excited.  Either way, none of us were able to read the book, we all, by about page two, were singing at full volume the story of the monkey, the cow, and the wolf.  If upon seeing this cover you didn’t immediately start humming the beloved kid’s song, then you are in for a treat with this book as three stories about animals teaching timeless lessons are shared.  The book is simply the lyrics of the song, so a parent might need to explain a bit, but the fun illustrations, and rhyming lines will make it a favorite for toddlers and preschoolers to sing and flip pages to, alhumdulillah.

The song/book is organized with a statement, a chorus highlighting the moral after each story and then repeating the opening framing statement.  The first story is about a business man who would cheat his customers, Allah swt sent him a monkey, and the monkey purified his wealth by disposing of half of it in the sea. The moral being that “Allah hates cheating, Allah hates lies, so give what’s due and receive what’s right.”

The next story is about a farmer and his cow.  The farmer works his animals way too hard, so Allah allows the cow to speak and tell his owner not to abuse him or the other animals.  The moral being that “Allah made animals, Allah made man, to all living creatures be kind and fair.”

The final story is about the wolf trying to steal the sheep and the shepherd protecting them.  The warning is that the sheep must be strong in faith for the wolf will always be trying to take you.

The book and song are catchy and fun, and provide stories and morals to discuss with kids at story time and bedtime.  The only slightly odd thing about the book is that the last page is the inside back cover.  I’m sure it was a binding decision but it seems it could have balanced the title pages at the beginning to make it feel symmetrical.

Available to order HERE

Mar7

The Ramadan Cookbook: 80 Delicious Recipes Perfect for Ramadan, Eid, and Celebrating throughout the Year by Anisa Karolia

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The Ramadan Cookbook: 80 Delicious Recipes Perfect for Ramadan, Eid, and Celebrating throughout the Year by Anisa Karolia

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Another surprising library find, this 2023 published cookbook shares meals for all the time, but organizes them with Ramadan in mind.  Unlike many online recipe pages, there is not a lot of backstory about the culture behind the recipes, or how the author has made them her own, it really is pretty direct and to the point.  The author is Desi, and the bulk of the recipes Indian, but it isn’t all of them.  I found myself flipping through the pages hoping to be inspired, but sadly most of the recipes were fairly basic.  That isn’t too say they are not good, I have not tried them, but being of Pakistani decent and that I have been cooking multiple meals a day for too many years to count, I didn’t feel compelled to check the kitchen for ingredients.  I think a big part of it is, I need pictures of the food to spark interest, and not every page had images of the food.  I think the book is fun to look through, maybe remind you of something you tried once and enjoyed, or give you ideas of something you and your family might like to try.  I would say it is for beginner cooks, but without step-by-step directions, you have to have some basic skills, perhaps it is more a family friendly cook book as she makes comments of what her children like, or dishes them come together quickly and easily.

Clearly I am not a foodie, or a cookbook reviewer, I was just excited to see a Ramadan cookbook available at the library and wanted to share.  The author shares her thoughts on Ramadan, and interjects some thoughts on the section pages. Apparently she is a famous blogger, so if you follow the author and there is something I should try, please let me know.

Mar4

Craft it Up This Ramadan and Eid by Zayneb Abdullatif photography by Sidoie Djunaedi

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Craft it Up This Ramadan and Eid by Zayneb Abdullatif photography by Sidoie Djunaedi

This book is not new, but I saw it at my library and thoroughly enjoyed looking through it.  I’ve hosted, helped, and attended numerous Ramadan craft fairs and story and craft times over the years, and I know everything can be found online.  Yet somehow this 79 page, 2015 published book was kind of fun to look at with my toddler.  It wasn’t overwhelming or super complicated, it was just a nice roundup of simple crafts that you could easily do with items around your home, while dropping little informative bits about Islam, Muslims, Ramadan, and Eid.  I doubt young parents today would even think to look in a library book for Ramadan craft ideas, it is a bit of an antiquated concept in todays day and age.  I highlight it today to remind us that so many have worked very hard to advance Muslim representation in books in all its forms, alhumdulillah, so that we can continue to see ourselves, make strides, and raise the bar.

The book starts with tips for parents and guardians, followed by the basics, crafts for the joyous month, crafts for Eid, a special festival, and concludes with templates, good deeds activity list, and a glossary.

It erroneously says we fast from sunrise to sunset, but does get right that we increase our worship and that fasting was ordered for us by Allah swt.  On the Eid section it discusses the takbirat and gives Eid al Adha a paragraph explanation as well.

A fun library find, that kept us off a screen and able to plan some little activities to do this Ramadan.

Feb26

EidTale: An Eid al-Fitr Adventure by Aaliya Jaleel

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EidTale: An Eid al-Fitr Adventure by Aaliya Jaleel

This is the thickest board book I think I have ever seen, and that it is about Eid, filled with Muslim joy, and has foldout pages, makes it one of the best as well. It even gets that Fajr salat is prayed at dawn, it uses masjid instead of mosque, and mom covers outside, but not at home, alhumdulillah.  The book is meant for littles, but I think preschoolers will enjoy the siblings getting up on Eid morning, praying, putting on new clothes, taking their Eidi to get gifts, sharing with the homeless, the aunties doing henna, the uncles drinking chai as they make their way to the masjid to pray and celebrate.  It is beautifully illustrated, with simple toddler aligning text, and is an absolute joy to read, spend time with and share.

I love that it shows generosity, and some of the sunnahs of Eid, without telling or preaching.  And yet amidst all the fun foldouts, bright colors, cute cats, and traditions, it also has a bit of a plot, that parents can talk to their kids about.  This book is unapologetic and for Muslim kids, but the authenticity is so warm that even non Muslims will be drawn to it.

I love this book, and can’t wait to gift it to some of the little people on my Eid shopping list.  The book comes out March 5, 2024 and can be  (pre)ordered here.

Feb19

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

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A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

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At 352 pages this YA vampire book is remarkably clean, a little slow burn, a few kisses, and some killing, but for the genre, I was quite impressed.  The book is written by a Muslim, but there is no Islam in the book, the closest it gets is a character named Laith Sayaad, but he is from Arawiya, so the fictional world stays in its lane.  The commentary of colonialism, classism, found family, however is very real.  Throw in some tea, some vampires, and a heist with a less than trustworthy crew and I was swept away.  As a Muslim book reviewer, I often schedule in breaks to read books I don’t have to screen shot, annotate, and scrutinize, aka non Islamic books.  So this book was a bit of a surprise for me once I realized I would not have to read it with all the critical lenses in place, but would still feature it because the author is Muslim.  As a result, this review will be a little different from my normal format.

Told in multiple voices, Arthie, Jin, and Flick, the linear story moves along with each characters progression. The story however, twists and in a style that feels a bit slight of hand, we are told what to look at and see, but in an unveiling that makes you want to slow down, flip back, reread, and then carry on.  Honestly at times the book is utter chaos, but again, because I knew this wouldn’t be a typical review, I kept on keeping on.  When plot pieces started to fall into place, about two-thirds of the way into the book, and details in passing started carrying weight, the book was impossible to put down.  I didn’t find many of the “plot twists” super surprising, but I was utterly delighted to know that they connected so many crumbs of the story.  I’m a bit of a sucker for “no loose ends,” and while the ending left a lot for me to desire and grapple with, the story for the most part felt satisfying at its close.

Arthie Casimir and Jin Casimir, siblings by choice, run a tea house by day, a blood bar by night.  Always on the run from the ruling Ram, they have networks of spies, and years of criminal experience, to make it all look rather easy.  When Spindrift is threatened, the two will be tested to pull together a team, enter the dark vampire world of the Athereum and take on the colonizing rulers that hide behind masks.  Things don’t always go according to plan, and their plotting, successes, failures, and backstories make the book a fast-paced read that ends too soon.

FLAGS: Death, attraction, romance, fantasy, colonization, violence, stealing, systemic corruption, spies, etc.  I would be fine with 15 and up reading it.

Sep25

Raisah and the Boat Trip by Nadia Ali illustrated by Fatma Zehra Köprülü

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Raisah and the Boat Trip by Nadia Ali illustrated by Fatma Zehra Köprülü

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sep15

Majdi Mansoor and the Book of Miracles by Anisa Bezak

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Majdi Mansoor and the Book of Miracles by Anisa Bezak

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I don’t think I have ever seen or even heard of any dystopian Islamic fiction reads, we have a handful of Islamic historical fiction, and dystopian with Muslim characters, but the genre made me curious, and with that motivation I began the 458 page book.  The beginning didn’t immediately grip me, but I told myself to read a hundred pages before deciding to DNF it or keep reading, and long before that arbitrary mark, I was intrigued by the story, invested in the characters, and impressed by the consistent writing, pacing, and role of Islam.  The book is preachy and idyllic, but that is to be expected, the way Islamic ideas and concepts and concerns were included as plot points though, is surprisingly well done.  For much of the story, I kept wondering who the target audience would be.  The vocabulary is a bit advanced, and the pages full of small text.  The book starts story wise-solid middle grade, but I think by the end I would recommend this book for advanced middle grade or early middle school Muslim readers.  I’ve heard from some adults that they read a chapter to their kids each night, and I think that aloud younger kids might also enjoy the story and be swept away to a future land run by a corporation where religion is banned, books are a thing of the past, a boy speaks only in Quranic ayats and hadith, and bullies of all sizes will have to be faced.

SYNOPSIS:

Twelve year old Jacob is an orphan in Tanas World and is unwillingly part of a gang.  One day in a boarded up old building he finds a book, a physical book, the Quran.  Religion is not allowed, Islam most of all, but he reads the book, and even though he doesn’t believe, he keeps rereading the pages.  When an attempt to steal some tech takes him outside the boundaries of the walled off city, he meets a small boy, Majdi Mansoor, who talks in a peculiar way. When threatened by the gang, Jacob decides to take Majdi’s side and that one act sets the two boys on a course that will change them forever.

I don’t want to give away too much, but Jacob is taken in by the Mansoor family who live in isolation and in hiding outside Tanas Corps patrols.  The parents are kidnapped, the children seek to save them and along the way meet smugglers, a Muslim community corrupted by bidah and djinn, Muslim Defense Unit rebels seeking revenge, and the executives who want the MEECA device to imprison the planet.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I was honestly impressed with the quality of writing, but I honestly don’t know if it was because my expectations were so low, or in fact was sufficiently edited and refined.  The characters have heart, the world building is believable, and the Islam is handled with an even hand.  At times members of the Mansoor family are too “good,” but Jacob has a sense of humor, is fallible, and curious which allows the story to stay moving and on task. There are some major plot points that are not resolved, and I’m assuming the political details will play out in the second book.  I’m hoping at least. The book doesn’t talk down to the reader, but older readers might find it too preachy.

I’m hoping my early teens who love Islamic fiction chapter books such as The Broken Kingdom series, The Adventure of Nur Al-Din books, and The Moon of Masarrah quartet will similarly enjoy this.

FLAGS:

Death, bullying, manipulation, assault, revenge, danger, whispers of shatan, bidah

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would love to do this as a Middle School book club, I think it would be a bit too cheesy, but I think there would be some great discussions to be had about seeking, temptation, bidah, forgiveness, and the way that Majdi talks and Islam is woven in to the text.

Sep1

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

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Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sometimes you remember reading a book and liking it, but not a lot more.  Why I never wrote up a review about this Muslim authored 153 page young adult fantasy novella (?) in 2013 when it was first published I have no idea, but now that it has a new cover and some minor tweaks I am happy to share it, support it, and urge you all to do the same. My only complaint is the book is too short.  It tells a complete story, but I did not want it to end.  The print version includes the prequel Shadow Thief in the backmatter, and I believe the series will total three books when complete, but I’m not a patient person and even the second time reading this had me sucked in from the very first page and unable to put the book down until I finished The paranormal world building, character development, intrigue, interest, adventure, and curiosity, is masterfully written and conveyed to take the reader on a journey where the next turn is completely unexpected, yet plausible, worrisome, yet hopeful, fast passed, but not rushed, and before you know it the last page has been read, and you are still emotionally attached to Hitomi, longing for Karolene, and anxious to see what will happen next.  There is no Islam in the book, many names come from Arabic though, and there is killing, death, vampires, soul suckers, magic, and lots of secrets yet to come to light.

SYNOPSIS:

Hitomi is still an outsider in Karolene unable to blend in even though she has been there for years.  Her skin and features give her away, but it is her secrets that she tries to hide more than her appearance.  She is part of the Shadow League, and when she gets a chance to help with a mission to save a political family that opposes the Arch Mage Blackflame, her life with the fish sellers is about to change. She encounters vampires, is taken through a portal to a landlocked northern land, is imprisoned with a Breather and starts to test the power of her own magic.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The twists and turns of the book are a wild ride.  You don’t know what is going to happen next, and while it takes a minute to share details of 15-year-old Hitomi’s world and Karolene at the beginning, the connection it creates to the main character is worth it as the story progresses.  In a short time you really feel you know how she sees the world, functions in it, and thus the emotional bond makes you invested in what is to come.  I love that Hitomi is mixed race, young, female, fallible, smart, strong, and empathetic and likeable.  She isn’t perfect, but you are definitely cheering her on.

FLAGS:

The book has magic, killing, death, plotting, secret, torture, politics, but for the genre and age is relatively clean. The prequel novella, Shadow Thief, does mention rape.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

The book is a bit too short for a full book club discussion, but I would absolutely recommend, shelve, and encourage middle school readers and up to grab a copy and take an hour or so off from their lives to read about Hitomi’s and make predications about what will happen next.

To show support to this incredible author, and this fun book, please preorder/order here.  You can also suggest your library shelve it, put it on hold, once it arrives, check it out, and enjoy it.

Aug11

Zain’s Super Friday by Hena Khan illustrated by Nez Riaz

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Zain’s Super Friday by Hena Khan illustrated by Nez Riaz

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I love the joy and normalizing of mainstream titles celebrating salat, Jummah, and the masjid becoming increasingly available for us to read and share.  This particular book is great for preschool to early elementary aged children that enjoy going to the masjid, but sometimes want to put on a cape and be the hero battling aliens, that know how to behave during salat, but sometimes have a hard time sitting still, and parents that want to play with their kids, but sometimes have to get some work done first.  With  threads of patience, kindness, and determination woven in to masjid activities, the book is both a mirror for Muslim kids and a window for those that wonder what a Friday prayer service looks like.  The 32 page book is unapologetic, joyful, and a great addition to book shelves.

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Zain wakes up early Friday morning and is ready to save the world. Dad greets Zain with a “Jum’uah Mubarak,” but has to pass on battling the aliens taking over the kitchen.  At lunchtime, when dad takes a break from work, Zain tries again to engage him in heroic play, but it is time for Jum’uah.  Zain slips on his cape and vows to protect everyone.

When they get to the mosque, aka command central, Zain tries again, but dad redirects him to make wudu before salat. Heat action dries his feet, but the adhan starts and giant shoes and aliens will have to wait, yet again.  During the khutbah, wiggly Zain sits by his dad, but when the Imam encourages them to stand for salat and fill any gaps, Zain takes it as a call to duty and races to the front announcing, “Here I come, Commander Imam, reporting for duty.”

The kind Imam knows just what to do, and as Zain controls his focus, even dad finds time to be a hero and battle the aliens on this super Friday at the mosque.

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I love that wudu, athan, khutbah, Imam, are all used without a glossary and that the Author’s Note is informative and unapologetic in tying it all together and making the terms clear.  I wish masjid was used instead of mosque, but I know that is just my personal preference.  I love that the Imam is kind and the dad is gentle and playful.  Even when Zain is not getting to do what he wants, he is not unhappy with being at Jumuah, or making salat, or being redirected, he just wants to indulge his imagination.  The warmth and joy of the illustrations reinforces the tone of the book, and with the inclusion of charity, and the happy ending, I can’t wait to have a physical copy of this book in my hands.

The book releases on October 10, 2023 and can be preordered/ordered here on Amazon and I’m sure will be available once released at Crescent Moon Store, where my initials ISL at checkout will always save you 10%.

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