Tag Archives: Toddler

Nov30

How Much Does Allah Love Me? by Heba Subeh-Hyder illustrated by Aatena Hasan

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How Much Does Allah Love Me? by Heba Subeh-Hyder illustrated by Aatena Hasan

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I waited to review this book to see if my initial response would change, and before I got around to writing up the review, the second book in the Maymunah’s Musings has come out.   So I am admittedly a bit late and quite a bit behind, and based on other people’s review I’m in the minority on my opinions.  This 40 page book is wonderfully presented with a multicultural girl asking her mother about Allah’s love for her.  I wanted to absolutely love the text as much as the playful illustrations, but I felt like it was a bit wordy in places, a bit out of order in the mom’s explanation to the little girl making it somewhat repetitive, and ultimately I wanted a bit more.  More ayats or references or even specific examples.  There is truly nothing wrong with the book, but at its price point I was a bit disappointed.

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Maymunah is looking out the window and thinking about Allah swt: what she has learned in Sunday school and about His remarkable creations.  She recalls the amazing animals, the vast number of stars in the sky, the different type of trees, and her family.

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She loves Allah, and wants to know how much He loves her.  So she rushes to find her mother, the only person that can answer that question (I’m not sure why no one else can).  Her mother lovingly and patiently situates herself with Maymunah in her lap to answer the important question.

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Maymunah’s mom explains that Allah loves her more than the billions of stars in the sky, more than all the fish in the ocean, more than all the raindrops that fall, more than the billions of people in the entire world, more than all grains of sand on the beach, and blades of grass in the meadow.

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Then Maymunah’s mom asks her if she knows how much Mama loves her. Maymunah repeats back all the examples her mother has just given for how much Allah loves Maymunah.  The mom then says and Allah loves you more than that.  

Maymunah is satisfied and reflects on how much Allah loves her and then remarks that her love for her mother and her mother’s love for her is bigger than the whole wide world. The last page of the book mentions that her love for Allah is more than that and that Allah’s love for her was even bigger, but it seemed muddled to me as it started stressing how big a mother and child’s love is.   

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I felt like the natural order would be to explain to a child how much a mother loves them, then say Allah loves you even more.  Not tell all the ways Allah loves you, then talk about how much Mama loves you with the exact same examples and then say Allah loves you more.  It doesn’t even say Allah loves you ‘the most.’  

If you don’t read it over and over and take it on the surface it is probably fine, and I realize I might be overly harsh, but with only a single ayat at the end, I really wanted to feel that a child’s curiosity would be satisfied with this book, and I think it ultimately fell short for me and my children.

Ultimately, despite all this, I don’t regret buying the book from the wonderful Crescent Moon Book Store, and I will be buying the new one too inshaAllah.  I hope this review helps you to determine if this book is right for your toddlers and preschoolers.  

Nov23

Watermelon Madness by Taghreed Najjar illustrated by Maya Fidawi

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Watermelon Madness by Taghreed Najjar illustrated by Maya Fidawi

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This 32 page picture book for preschool and up is silly and fun.  There is nothing Islamic in the text or illustrations by this Muslim author, but there is Arab culture as it mentions molokhiya and zaatar. The large 8.5 x 11 hardback book is wonderfully illustrated with detail, color and expression.  The playful font and text makes reading it fun and enjoyable for little ones, who will get the message, and laugh along the way.

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Noura loves watermelon. She eats it in the morning and in the afternoon and in the evening too.  At dinner she doesn’t want to eat her chicken, rice and molokhiya, she just wants watermelon. 

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That night after dinner she sneaks to the kitchen, sees a huge watermelon on the table, and decides to take it up to her room to enjoy all by herself.  She puts the watermelon under her bed, and dreams wonderful watermelon dreams.

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The watermelon gets bigger and bigger, and there is a door! She goes inside the watermelon and eats until her hearts content.  But as she gets bigger, the watermelon gets smaller.  She is trapped and her tummy is hurting.  

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Her mother rushes in to find a watermelon under the bed and Noura screaming from a bad dream.  Resolved to deal with the magic watermelon in the morning, Noura goes back to sleep having learned her lesson (without being reprimanded), and happily eats her breakfast of a fried egg and zaatar.  

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The book concludes with some information about watermelons and info about molokhiya and zaatar.  

Jun1

Alya and the Three Cats by Amina Hachimi Alaoui illustrated by Maya Fidawi

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Alya and the Three Cats by Amina Hachimi Alaoui illustrated by Maya Fidawi

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This sweet 32 page book is the purr-fect way to introduce the arrival of a new baby to toddlers and preschoolers.  Instead of siblings preparing for a new arrival, it is three very different cats that need reassurance that there is enough love to go around.

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Minouche, Pasha, and Amir live with their humans Myriam and Sami, and life is good.  Minouche likes to hide, Pasha is regal, and Amir the Siamese is very curious.  One thing they all have in common though, is they like to curl up on Myriam’s belly.3cats1

And her belly is growing! They are finding it harder to fit, and it even moves. Then one day Myriam and Sami leave early in the morning without even saying good-bye.

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Finally she comes home.  She is carrying a basket and disappears in the room without even acknowledging the cats.  The cats sneak in and see a funny little creature that squeaks.

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Grandma steps in to assure the curious little cats that there is enough love for the new baby, Ayla, and them.  Feeling confident, the proud cats take on protecting their little human and the family full of love.

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There isn’t anything Islamic in the book, but it definitely is culturally rich in the names, illustrations and the author is Moroccan.

The sweet book would be a great way to get siblings comfortable with a new one on the way and let them talk about how the cats thought, felt, and handled the change.  Even children not about to have a new addition will find the silliness and sweetness entertaining and enjoyable.  The pictures are gorgeous and fun and the text and presentation perfect for bedtime, story time, and anytime.

 

 

May11

Go On, Zap Shaytan: Seeking Shelter with Allah by Razana Noor illustrated by Omar Burgess

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Go On, Zap Shaytan: Seeking Shelter with Allah by Razana Noor illustrated by Omar Burgess

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In rhyming couplets spread out over 32 pages with adorable illustrations, this book is a great introduction to the whispers of shaytan that encourage us to be naughty, and how to counter them without frightnening young listeners.  Meant for preschool age children and up, this is the second book by the author discussing an important religious concept in an easy to understand manner (the first book was about Kiraman Katibin) that empowers children to make great choices and find strength in doing so, even when mistakes are made.4CB95EFD-0B5A-4725-B110-4361E48CD9A4

The “Note to Parents” at the beginning provides great framework for the takeaway message of the book.  That yes, shaytan whispers to us and we will make mistakes, but the power is ours to overcome such temptations and inshaAllah do good.

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The book starts out a bit shakey for me as the rhyming is a bit off on one page, and the blame for the little boy with the great hair’s naughtiness is blamed solely on shaytan.  As a former teacher, this is always a tricky concept when trying to teach children to take responsibility for their actions, but then knowing full well that shayateen are real too.

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Once the flip side, of how to protect yourself from shaytan, starts: by saying aoudhu-billahi minashaytanir rajeem, bismillah, salam, reading Quran, calling athan, etc.. the book flows really well.

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I love how much information is conveyed about the jinn and their purpose and how they cower and put their fingers in their ears to not hear the praise of Allah swt.

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There is a glossary for the Arabic words and Islamic references, some kids might need some additional understanding about jin and responsibiltiy, but a solid book that I have read over 20 times to my 4 year old in the last week, alhumdulillah.

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Thank you again to Crescent Moon Storefor their incredibly quick fullfillment of the order.

Apr6

We are Muslim, Al-Hamdu Lillah! by Kathy Fannoun

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We are Muslim, Al-Hamdu Lillah! by Kathy Fannoun

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In digging through and pulling out board books for my nine month old to chew on, I realized I never reviewed this staple.  Published in 1994, this 16 page 4 x 5 book does a good job in rhyming verse discussing the universal bond of Islam for our littlest ones.

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It starts out by stating that we are children form many different nations, and are different shapes and sizes, but that Allah swt created us all.

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It reminds us that even though our words are different, and some of us are rich and others poor, we still enjoy God’s gifts and love our families, because in the end we all praise Allah, and are Muslims, Al-Hamdu Lillah!

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The illustrations are clearly hand drawn and filled in with colored pencils, but they show diverse skin tones, a few different ethnic dresses, some in hijab and kufis, others not, and all smiling.

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This book is basic, which makes it perfect for little ones at bedtime and even in small groups.  Younger children appreciate the simple message and rhyme scheme and it is the perfect size in their hands.

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This book is probably bringing back memories for many of you, as it was one of the first books of its kind.  A board book, that is Islamic, cute and fun, for English readers. I remember in high school reading it to my Sunday school preschool class at the masjid, sharing it at story times at the masjid as an adult, and reading it to my own kids over the years.  The binding is still holding strong, and the words still remind me how blessed I am to be s Muslim, Al-Hamdu-Lillah!

Nov25

The ABC of Allah Loves Me by Learning Roots

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The ABC of Allah Loves Me by Learning Roots

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You really wouldn’t think there is much to review in an alphabet board book, but this particular one tries to do more than just pluck a random Islamic word or concept for each of the 26 English letters.  It attempts to give each of the letters one of Allah (swt)’s beautiful names explained in English, but written in Arabic too.

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Each 5 x 10 page features a four line description in a rhyming format to flesh out the highlighted word or phrase.

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Some letter to corresponding Asma al Husna are spot on, but some are a little more of a stretch and some don’t even seem to try.  Overall though it is well-done and delightful.

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The people illustrated don’t have visible eyes, but many have smiles, noses, or closed eyes.  They are bright and warm and engaging.  The binding and thickness of the pages is sturdy.

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Perhaps my favorite part of the book is that the while the rhyming is forced, as is nearly always the case in these type of books, the diction stays on level.  Little kids will understand the words used and emerging readers will be able to sound out and read many on their own as well.

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A great book for your toddler to preschool collection and a reasonably priced book from Crescent Moon Store http://www.crescentmoonstore.com.

Sep16

Bedtime Sunnahs Emaulating the Prophet one night at a time by Alia G. Dada illustrated by Robin Boyer

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Bedtime Sunnahs Emaulating the Prophet one night at a time by Alia G. Dada illustrated by Robin Boyer

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A beautiful rhyming 11 page story for toddlers and up to learn parts of the Prophetic routine for bedtime.  Yes, 11 pages, the book in total is 28 pages, six are Appendixes, one is about the author, one is a dedication, and the rest are blank or title pages.  For a $15 book, I’m a little disappointed, which is unfortunate because the illustrations and information on those 11 pages is great.  The references are informative and important to see what Hadith the Sunnahs come from, but I think the story itself could have, and should have, been longer.

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Each page has a different family getting ready for bed and doing various acts.  I love that moms and dads are involved in bedtime routines. The illustrations show diversity and the text is simple, flowing, rhyming and straight forward.

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From brushing teeth to reciting Athkar, making duas to Allah and laying on our right side, each page has wonderful detail in the warm full color pages.  I love the decorations on the bedroom walls, signs with Allah’s name, statements saying “Strong like Zainab, Brave like Fatima, Smart like Khadija”, as well as “Smile! it’s Sunnah!”.

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The book is for Muslim children obviously, and makes getting ready for bed seem like a fun and bonding event.

The first Appendix is a Parents Notes on what the purpose of the book is and the second one is Islamic Terminology.  From the their Appendixes address the Ahadeeth about sleeping in a state of Wudu and on your right side, bedtime Atkhar, and reciting the three Quls,  I wish it would have including the Quls, seeming as the book is meant to provide information for caregivers to convey to a child, and many households may have non Muslims or new reverts in that role.

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The remaining two reference pages are Additional Sunnahs for Advanced Children which include Reciting Ayah al Kursi, the last two verses of Surah al Baqarah, the dua before bed and when waking in the morning.  The dua texts are given, the Ayats are not. There is then a final page about the author.

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The hardbound glossy cover and thick inside pages are well done in this 8×8 perfect sized book for bedtime, I just wish there was more of it.

 

 

Sep6

Bismillah Little Leyla by Qura Abid illustrated by Mona Ismail

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Bismillah Little Leyla by Qura Abid illustrated by Mona Ismail

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I thought this book might be leveled- reader type based on the binding and page numbers (26), but it reads more like a picture book with its repetitive refrain, and honestly the awkward small size (5×8) makes it feel like a pamphlet.  So, I’m not sure who it is trying to appeal to, and unfortunately is a great example of how the outward presentation killed an otherwise decent book.  I also don’t know who is to blame for the final physical product, the author, the publisher, the printer? But at a $10 price point, I’m not sure anyone who purchases this book is going to be happy with the size and binding, and the book will simply get lost on a book shelf, and be forgotten.

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The premise of the book is good.  Rather than just tell kids to say Bismillah before they do anything, Little Leyla actually does it in the course of a morning.  I like that it shows that we say Bismillah before we do all types of things, not just before we eat or get in a car, but even when we swing and play a game or put on a jacket.

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The climax of the book is Leyla saying bismillah, shooting a goal and scoring against her dad.  The lesson being that Allah is always there to help us.

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I’ve read the book a dozen times, to myself and aloud, and I think the book has a natural cadence based on the diction and sentence length, and I think it wants to rhyme.  Additionally, after each example and on nearly every page, the refrain at the end of the paragraph is (nearly) the same:  “What must she say? Leyla knows! Do you? It’s Bismillah!”  The repetition makes it memorable, but with the sing song beat and on and off, often forced, rhyme, I find myself tripping over the words a lot, and I cant quite put my finger on why.  If the book were larger, and I were using it for a preschool story time, I would just have to practice it a few times, but there is no way, sadly,  you could read this book to a group if you want them to see the pictures.

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The illustrations might be ok, it might also be a presentation thing that makes them look washed out OR maybe that is how they are, I’m not sure. The detail and expressions are there, they just kinda seem faded.   Concept wise I like that they show the dad cooking and Mom playing soccer. The mom wears hijab she the family seems warm and happy.

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Thanks again to crescentmoonbooks.com for the excellent customer service and selection.

 

 

 

Aug26

If Allah Allah Wills by Dr. Oz illustrated by Mariya Khan

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If Allah Allah Wills by Dr. Oz illustrated by Mariya Khan

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Not all books need to teach something, but when the book would lend it self so easily to dropping a fact or two, it seems like it would take it.  In 40 pages, preschoolers are taken on a highly imaginative journey to the Ka’ba, yet no information about the history of the Ka’ba, or any mention of Umrah or Hajj is shared, not even in passing.

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Faris wants to go to the Ka’ba but it is nearly his bedtime, so he has to act fast.  He asks his mom what he needs to wear, obviously knowing special clothes are required, but his mom prefaces the answer of white sheets as being “odd” and then adds that you need sandals.  For a book that wants to normalize Islam for children, I don’t understand why the mom would say that ihram is odd, why the word ihram isn’t used, why it doesn’t even specify the number of white pieces of unstitched cloths and why sandals would be included.

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Faris then finds two white sheets, but the illustration shows him getting towels out of the bathroom (possibly showing his imagination, but kids will just think it is an error, mine did), packing some food and jumping on his rocking horse to head off for the Ka’ba.

Faris finds himself among the stars without a map and starts to worry that he won’t find his way.  He then sees a flock of birds and wonders how they know where to go.  The book however, doesn’t answer how birds know, and just has him land and find someone to ask.

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Luckily Faris finds a camel to ask, and luckily he is a nice camel and he shows Faris to the Ka’ba.  Faris is surprised at how big it is and then supposes that Allah’s house has to be.  But he asks it as a question, which makes it a little off grammatically.  The camel points out that Allah swt is above and that the Ka’ba is for people to visit.  Faris asks what is supposed to be done at the Ka’ba and the camel answers, “We circle the Ka’ba, pray to Allah, and thank Him.”  This seems like a great place to sneak in some facts about who built the Ka’ba and why or mention Hajj or Umrah, it seems so misguided to just say we circle it.

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Faris makes some prayers that he can return for real one day with his parents before he finds a place to eat his snack and share his food with his camel.  It is nice that he shares with his new friend, but odd that when they part Faris asks him his name and he says he doesn’t have one.  Maybe give him a name, and detail its meaning or don’t include the exchange at all.  I seriously don’t understand the purpose of the exchange.

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Faris makes is home with a crash and his mom tidies him up and they say InshaAllah that Faris’ prayer inshaAllah will come to fruition.

The book has a great premise of imagination and tying in the Ka’ba, but truly there is no information about Islam or the Ka’ba or even Allah swt, it gives a mood of worship, but that is about it.  I get that it is for little kids and the book is supposed to be whimsical and light, but sneak in some facts, kids can handle it.

As for the illustrations, they are just ok.  They would have benefitted from being a little smoother and not looking home-done, but there is nothing terribly wrong with them aside from the towel and sheet imagery.    The glossary cover and large font inside is age appropriate, some pages are a bit text heavy, but overall sufficient.

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