This bilingual (English and Somali) book tells the folktale of a wise leader challenging the men in his province with a riddle, and it being solved by a poor farmer’s eldest daughter. Based on a real Sultan from the mid 19th century, the book does not claim the story to be true, and leaves it up to the reader to form their own impression. The lesson however, is rich with culture, insight, charm, and perhaps surprise. There is no Islam present or hinted at, but the illustrator’s and translator’s names suggest that they are Muslim as the majority of Somali’s are, and the picture at the back of the book of members of the Somali Book Project show multiple females in hijab- so I’m sharing it on my platform to inshaAllah encourage often rarely seen, in western literature, cultures and traditions to be brought to more peoples’ attention.
The book starts with an author’s note explaining the tradition in East Africa of having a nickname and that Wiil Waal was the naanay of Garad Farah Garad Hirsi, a man who was a sultan for a brief time. He was known to be a great leader who was brave, and clever, and used riddles to unite people. Like all folktales though, this doesn’t claim to be a true story, but one filled with wisdom.
Long ago Wiil Waal set forth a riddle, “bring me part of one of your sheep. The sheep’s part should symbolize what can divide people or unite them as one.” The one who can do so will be honored as a wise man.
The men pick different parts to bring to the sultan with little success: a rib, a liver, a shoulder of meat. In a distant province a poor farmer who had few sheep and many children half heartedly prepared to slaughter his finest animal to present to Wiil Waal. His oldest daughter comes to help him, and he tells her the riddle. They work through it, and she thinks she is certain she knows the answer.
Trusting his daughter the farmer presents the sultan with what his daughter recommended. Quick to see that the farmer is not confident, he asks who solved the riddle and the story of the daughter’s intelligence is conveyed.
The book ends hinting that she is a future leader of Somalia. And no, I’m not going to tell you the answer. Go read the book!
This 65 page early chapter book in the Sadiq Series does a great job of introducing Ramadan, giving a glimpse of Somali culture, and conveying a relatable and engaging story about friends with a lesson/reminder about the values of communication. A group of boys hosting a fundraising iftar to help a school in Somalia have to figure out the logistics, the marketing, the cooking, and the execution, as they become socially aware and active in helping meet the needs of their community, both locally and afar. This OWN voice tale doesn’t shy away from authentically drawing on religion and culture to make characters and a plot that all readers can enjoy. The book is not preachy, but the characters know who they are in their manners, dress, speech, and environment. A great book any time of year for first grade and up.
This graphic novel swept me off my feet and left me in tears, not because of the hard life and sadness that life in a refugee camp entails, I had braced myself for that, but because of the hope and humanity and beauty that is so powerfully expressed and conveyed in this 264 page book. Meant for 3rd graders and up, I think kids through middle school should be encouraged to read it. The illustrations and colors are incredibly well done and the story is based on a true story that needs to be told and shared. It is definitely in the top 10 books I’ve read this year and I keep catching my 11 year old re-reading this book repeatedly (like 5 or 6 times).
The story definitely makes readers appreciate the life they have, and realize how simple and harsh others’ lives can be. I like the mention of the foods, giving insight into the culture, but I didn’t like the harshness of the adults. The calling the boys lazy, not taking Muktar food as he tends the camels, not being concerned about the injured camel until Muktar insists he notices, all made me a bit sad. Yes I was glad that Muktar was able to resume a nomadic life with camels, but he wasn’t given a say in it. And sure I’m glad that his friend Ismail will get books and be able to work toward being a teacher, but somehow it wasn’t a warm book, and I can’t quite identify why.
The real treat of the book however, is how it all comes together: the words, pictures, sentence structure, font, size, and diction all compliment each other on the same level. I read a lot of books aloud as a children’s librarian, and while the rhyming ones are great for the littlest listeners, there is often a void of read-out-loud stories for the kindergarten and first grade levels. And I am talking about all books, not just Islamic ones. Most picture books in my experience are written on a third grade level, with longer blocks of texts, smaller fonts, a wider range of vocabulary and longer sentences. These books are often beautiful and very tempting, however when I read them during story time I end up “summarizing” them, and telling the story rather than reading it. Similarly, early readers often find them frustrating and too difficult to read independently. Bismillah Soup strikes a wonderful balance, mashaAllah.
Islamic School Librarian 