Tag Archives: Picture book

Jun14

Leena Mo, CEO by Deena Shakir illustrated by Nez Riaz

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Leena Mo, CEO by Deena Shakir illustrated by Nez Riaz

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For ages four to eight this 40 page picture book really introduces great concepts of leadership, business, support systems, and dreaming big.  Before Leena Mo, leads a company though, she thinks up ideas to solve a problem, she turns her ideas into a plan, tests her hypothesis with her prototype, and takes her invention to the next step when demand grows.  Investors, employees, storage, sales, Leena Mo has not only created a product and a company, but she is leading a business, and inspiring others, even back in her Mama’s home in Iraq. With a Mama wearing hijab, a singular mashallah in the text, and the Arabic word for “my dream” Helmy being what she names her snow clearing robot, children everywhere will be inspired and encouraged to think a little bigger than they may have done before.

I love that this business concept is brought down to an early elementary age (and even younger), in a way that they not only will understand, but also be inspired by.  Younger kids might not get the steps, but the fun engaging illustrations, and simple text builds to show that the idea is also growing, and even four and five year olds will grasp that this is exciting.  There are books about science, inventions, even increasingly more about financial literacy, so this is in many ways a next step, that touches on those concepts, but really focuses on the investors, growth and leadership.  The story and concepts weave together, and that culture finds a place as well, is a testament to the quality of this solid, joyful OWN voice read.

The book starts with Leena playing outside in the snow with her friends, when her Mama asks her to shovel before it gets dark.  Leena hates shoveling.  She finds it worse than raking leaves, doing the dishes, and even taking out the garbage.  Instead of complaining though, she starts to dream up an idea of something that would make clearing the snow easier.  She decides on a robot, and gets to work designing and building and testing.

Once it works, a neighbor, Miss Irma, asks to borrow Helmy, and when she returns it, the rest of the neighborhood wants to know where they can purchase one of their own.  When Miss Irma invests in Leena and her team, the next phase begins and as parts turn into products, and equations determine cost, the team of Leena, Olivia, and Lily starts rolling out Helmies.

The sweet ending of inspiring others, will also hopefully inspire readers to think bigger, dream bigger, and recognize the role support,  teamwork, and leadership all play in bringing ideas to life.

The book can be preordered and soon ordered anywhere and everywhere books are sold.

Jun7

A Letter to the Beloved: Dear Prophet Muhammad (saw) by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Rumeysa Abis

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A Letter to the Beloved: Dear Prophet Muhammad (saw) by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Rumeysa Abis

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I was a little skeptical about a 32 page rhyming letter to our beloved Rasullah, illustrated in book format, but it is cute and it won me over.  The rhythm keeps the rhyme from feeling too forced and allows for some forgiveness when it misses the mark, it also makes the book appeal to a wider audience. Even my preschooler could sit through it pretty well.  The book being the letter without any stilted framing, has a lovely authentic voice of a young boy, also named Muhammad, asking the Prophet (saw) questions and chatting in a very stream of conscience sort of way. It blends facts that the young boy knows with his stresses and asking the Prophet for advice.  The font is meant to look like a child wrote it, but it is a little cumbersome for children to read, and even adults (me) during read alouds.  I do wish the book was sourced, nothing really seemed wrong, but having it sourced or approved by a scholar is just a reassurance to the reader, and in my view a responsibility of the author.  The only line I didn’t like was near the end, when the boy hopes “that you will remember me, from this letter I am writing you.”  I feel like it will confuse kids, is the letter being sent? How would he know you when you’ve never met? What will be done with the letter once written? The illustrations are hit or miss, some are absolutely lovely, others a bit off, for example a music book on top of a picture of Masjid an Nabawi and the Kaaba, some also easier for small groups to see than others.  For kids there really aren’t a lot of books about Prophet Muhammad saw that are not textbook like in their portrayal, so I like the approach this takes, I just wish a few things were tweaked.

The book dives right in, with Muhamad introducing himself to our Prophet, he writes that he was named after him, and all about his family.  He then starts to tell what he knows about Prophet Muhammad, and questions he would like to ask.  Its a one sided discussion about siblings, smiles, appearances, kindness, and generosity.

The little boy then wants to know about Buraq, splitting the moon, talking to angels, standing out numbered at Badr.  It then turns to food and the little boy wondering about if RasulAllah would like mustard and relish, and burgers.  

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He imagines the Prophet visiting and leading his family in prayer and the scent that would then linger.  The boy hopes to meet him in Jannah, and promises to do his best to follow Allah’s decree. He signs off and sends salawat upon the Prophet. There is then a place for readers to write their own letters to the Prophet.  

May31

The Home We Make by by Maham Khwaja illustrated by Daby Zainab Faidhi

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The Home We Make by by Maham Khwaja illustrated by Daby Zainab Faidhi

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This 48 page picture book follows a family as they leave their home under siege and journey to America.  Through the eyes of the young girl the thread of what is home, where is home, and is it a place or a feeling weave through the emotional unknown that the family faces throughout.  Even once settled the feeling of security at home is threatened, and the family must persevere.  The little girl’s joy and hope that whatever comes will be faced together with her parents, keeps the book hopeful and at times even joyful.  The lyrical writing is occasionally makes the book feel text heavy, but because the reflection of memories and inclusion of emotions is used in conjunction with the story moving forward, I think elementary aged children with guidance will benefit from reading and discussing the book. As a former journalist, I truly believe one can research a topic and write an accurate story or an article presenting what they learned for others to benefit from.  At the same time as a lover of fiction, I enjoy OWN voice and the authenticity that it brings to the experience.  So, when I read the Author’s Note at the end, and found the author is not a refugee, and that there is no named sources of the author’s friends who are refugees, in fact there are no references whatsoever, I felt deflated.  It in some ways makes me uncomfortable that what looks much like a Syrian refugee story on the pages, is perhaps so mainstream, that a fictionalized account can be shared and accepted without authenticating it.  No country is named in the book, the author is an immigrant so there undoubtedly is a level of OWN voice, and she disclosed she is not a refugee- truly nothing “wrong” has been done, but nonetheless I feel like I should share that here for you to decide how you feel about it before reading the book.

The book starts with rockets falling outside a family’s home while they pack essentials in the red glow.  They then leave their home, and the house key behind as they start their journey. They begin walking past destroyed buildings, the girl’s school, branches that seem to not want to let them leave.  They arrive at the docks, spread the same blanket they once took to the beach during happier times, and wait for the boats.

There are not enough lifejackets, but her parents make sure she gets one.  As the boat bobs along, the young girl imagines astronauts in space and wonders if they too miss home.  The angels in blue vests get them from the boats to the camp, where they stay and wait, while they complete paperwork and dream of finding a new home. When that day comes, the goodbye is hard, but they board a plane to America with hopes and dreams.

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In America there is an apartment, help to learn the language, and reminders that they are lucky they have made it this far.  But, there are also people who do not want them here, that make them feel unsafe in their new home, and the family will have to work hard to find their place and make the puzzle pieces fit.

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The full illustrations bring the book to life, and compliment the text, establishing a tone that is seamless in conveying both fear and happiness on a kid appropriate level. 

 

 

 

May26

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

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

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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

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Birthday Kunafa by Rifk Ebeid illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

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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.

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,

 

Apr30

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Apr21

Idrees and the New Old Shoes by Hoda Elmasry illustrated by Tiemoko Sylla

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Idrees and the New Old Shoes by Hoda Elmasry illustrated by Tiemoko Sylla

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This sweet 28 page book keeps the text to a minimum while showing a boy with a lot of heart doing what he knows is right, even when he knows he will be laughed at.  I really love how the story draws readers in and conveys a lot, without over explaining.  Ages preschool and up will understand that Idrees wants new shoes, but second hand shoes are what are available.  That he wants to prove how fast he is at school, but that being a good neighbor is the right thing to do.  Based on the illustrations, the family is Muslim, mom wears hijab when out, but not at home, but there is nothing in the text that articulates the family’s faith.  The author is Muslim and the book is published by Ruqaya’s Bookshelf.

Idrees can’t wait for his new shoes so that he can beat Harris and be the fastest runner at Barton Elementary.  When mama comes home, she has shoes, but they are not new, they are hand-me-downs from the neighbor Mrs. Freeman.  Things are not the same as last year for Idrees and his mom, but with help from the neighbors they get by.  They also look out for Mrs. Freeman who is always forgetting something or another it seems.

Idrees doesn’t think he can beat Harris with these old shoes, and dreads being teased, but with some prodding from mama he tries on the shoes and heads out the door.  He gets to school in record time and things are looking up.  Harris has jokes when he sees the outdated sneakers, but Idrees is confident he can win the race.  When Mrs. Freeman shows up lost though, somehow the race just seem that important.

The book is available here at Crescent Moon Store where my initials ISL will save you 10% at checkout.

Idrees and the New Old Shoes

Apr5

Sister Friend by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani

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Sister Friend by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani

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After years of teaching, librarian-ing, and mothering, my reviewers are for adults, but with kids in mind. I read in different environments and try and balance what children will think with my more critical literary impressions. But honestly, my first reaction when I see Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow has a new book out, is not about the children, or their parents, it is incredibly selfish, and I want to read the picture book for me.  It has been about a year since I first read my all time favorite, Salat in Secret, and I still feel all the feels, every time I read the book. I even enjoy handing the book to people and watching them read it for the first time.  So, I was both excited, and nervous to read this new book, not knowing if it would measure up to my expectations or rather hopes, so to speak.  I needn’t have worried, subhanAllah, this book in it’s own right is moving, heartfelt, layered, powerful, hopeful, relatable, tender, and while staying on a kindergarten to second grade level is also unapologetic with its centering of Islam, race, and feeling invisible, being new, and making a friend.  The illustrations and words blend beautifully, and by the second page of the 40 page book, I was already emotionally attached to the little protagonist Ameena.  Good writing is good writing, and as a result this beautiful book works for all ages and will be appreciated on multiple layers even after dozens of readings, alhumdulillah.

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The book begins with Ameena playing a game by herself.  She always plays by herself at school, where she tends to be invisible.  Maybe it is her hair in twists or her brownness, she doesn’t know.  One day a new girl comes, her name is Sundus, she wears hijab like Ameena wears to the masjid.

All day Ameena tries to talk to Sundus, but something always seems to keep them apart.  When they finally meet,  Ameena’s excited words get all tangled, and a misunderstanding occurs.  Ameena decides the next day to transform into a rockstar: red-orange hijab and matching boots. The other kids say she is copying the new girl.  Sundus doesn’t say anything.

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Ameena disappears again at school, but family night at the masjid is her happy place.  Where she doesn’t play alone, and there are lots of browns, and she is seen.  When Mama meets a new sister, and greets her with Assalamu Alaikum, Ameena sees how a greeting and a hug can be the start of sisterhood and friendship. And the next time Sundus and Ameena meet, they know just what to say.

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The joy at the end forces you to smile, just as Ameena playing alone at the beginning tugs at your heart.  It is a great book to see yourself and see others in a beautiful, authentic way.  The universal themes of not being seen, making a friend, and being the new kid, are woven in just as hijab, masjid and Assalamu Alaikum are, making the book powerful for Muslim and non Muslims alike.

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I particularly love that their is no glossary, and that the text uses the word masjid not mosque, hijab not scarf and Assalamu Alaikum not salam.  That the masjid is her safe place to laugh and play, and that this book is mainstream published and will find its way to public spaces and be widely accessible.

You can preorder your copy here on Amazon.

Apr2

Come To Prayer by Salwah Isaacs-Johaadien illustrated by Zeynep Yildirim

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Come To Prayer by Salwah Isaacs-Johaadien illustrated by Zeynep Yildirim

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Framed around the five fard prayers, the rhyming 26 pages take readers all around the world with the refrain of “come to prayer, some to salah, come to success, come to falah” appearing after each two page spread.  Reykjavik, Honolulu, Rio, Timbuktu, Kuala Lumpur, and Makkah are shown as families gather to pray in each city.  It is hard to know if the locations were chosen for a specific reason, or to just help with the rhyming lines.  I appreciate the map at the end in showing 18 masjids in the world, but they are not the only ones pictured in the book, so honestly it was not intuitive why they were highlighted. Additional information about the masjids included and where they are located in the world would have been far more beneficial.  The rhyming at times is forced, but for the minimal lines on the pages, and the clear organization of the book, it didn’t bother me too much.  The illustrations compliment the text well and amplify the concept of Islam being a global faith through the connection of Muslims praying everywhere.  The Islamic fiction book is meant for toddlers to early elementary, and with the positive tone of salah being an invitation to success, I think it works well for the audience.

The book starts with little kids waking up in a snowy scene in Reykjavik and heading out with their parents to pray Fajr at the masjid.  Then it is rain in Honolulu that can’t stop a family of five from driving slowly to the masjid for Zuhr.  In Rio a family packs up at the beach to get to Asr salah on time.  For Maghrib, not even a sandstorm across the Sahara can keep a family in Timbuktu from getting to prayer.  And finally a family takes shelter in the masjid for Isha as thunder and lightning in Kuala Lumpur halt their tour. The story ends with everyone entering Makkah in ihraam to pray at the Kaaba.

The book is a thick paperback cover, with glossy 9 x 9.5 inch pages.  It works well for small group story times or bedtime.  It is available on Amazon here or from Crescent Moon Store here.