Tag Archives: junissa bianda

Mar8

Can You Find My Eid Presents? By A.M. Dassu illustrated by Junissa Bianda

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Can You Find My Eid Presents? By A.M. Dassu illustrated by Junissa Bianda

This brightly illustrated Eid book has cute illustrations, but is very basic.  There is very little about Eid, in fact I have no idea if it is supposed to be Eid al Fitr or Eid al Adha. The girl is outside when it gets dark and no mention of iftar is made, but there is no crescent moon for Eid al Adha as there is one prominently seen in the illustration, so any insight into the matter would be great.  The book is just a little girl running around looking for the missing Eid presents.  It doesn’t talk about traditions or faith, Hana is literally just moving from location to location to look under the bed, in the wardrobe, the broom cupboard, the bathroom, the garbage, outside, in the shed. So yes, yet another Eid book with no Islam, no heart, no explaining why finding presents makes this the “best Eid ever!” Sigh. Truly it could be, Can you find my birthday presents or Christmas presents, and nothing in the story would have to change.

The book starts the evening before Eid, and Mummy and Hana are laying the table, and admiring the Eid decorations.  Mummy has a lot still to do and asks Hana to help by getting the Eid presents to Nani’s house for the party.  Only problem is that Hana can’t find them.

She looks everywhere, inside and out, and when Daddy comes home he is too busy to help.  He shoos her off to Nani’s next door, where the mystery is solved and the next morning when the presents are opened everyone is happy.

I wish there was some emotion, maybe whatever was in the little blue box for her Nani had her excited, and when it goes missing she is anxious.  Even to mention that they go open presents after Eid prayers seems like a natural inclusion, but alas, there is no emotion, no Islam, and no real point of the book.

Feb7

First Festivals: Ramadan: A Lift the Flap Book illustrated by Junissa Bianda

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First Festivals: Ramadan: A Lift the Flap Book illustrated by Junissa Bianda

I was pleasantly surprised by the cuteness of this little (7.5 x 7.5) 12 page lift the flap Ramadan board book I got at the library. Written by committee (Ladybird Books) and part of a series, I didn’t really expect much, but the illustrations are adorable, and the salat flap made me smile. The text is simple and informative, fitting for the target demographic covering that Ramadan is a special time for Muslims to grow closer to Allah, do more good deeds, fast, fast, pray, and celebrate after prayers at the mosque with a feast.  It is positioned to teach non Muslims about Islam, so the “Muslims do, or say, or believe” framing, can inherently feel a bit othering, but being the tone of the book is to educate, I think it can easily be reworded for Muslim homes to benefit and enjoy.

The book starts with a two page spread of a family in a living room and text that identifies that “a new moon has appeared” and Ramadan is here.  The flap lifts the curtain to reveal a crescent.  It states that Ramadan is a special time for Muslims and that we grow closer to God, articulating that we call God, Allah (swt).

The remaining spreads feature diverse characters, various colors, mobility, hijab wearing and not, and cover fasting, suhoor, iftar, eating dates, praying tarawih and then celebrating Eid at the end of the month.  Flaps lift to show inside a mosque, praying and making dua, opening gifts, visiting neighbors, and eating.  The book concludes with Ramadan over and Muslims remembering what the special month taught them. Overall it does a good job of balancing, fasting, praying, and being together, not over emphasizing food, or commercializing the holy month at the expense of showing faith practices.