Tag Archives: ummah

Here’s Our Religion by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Dasril Iqbal Al Faruqi

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Here’s Our Religion by Jenny Molendyk Divleli illustrated by Dasril Iqbal Al Faruqi

This HUGE 14 page board book is such an engaging, teachable, and shareable book for toddler to early elementary aged children.  Similar to the author’s First Words in the Qur’an I can see this book being shared at story times and in classrooms regularly.  Each two page spread is literally a board book in and of itself.  With headings of: Ummah, Shahadah/Qur’an, Salah, Ramadan, Zaqat/Sadaqa, Hajj, and Prophet Muhammad (saw)/ Sunnah, kids will be able to deduce from the pictures and simple captions how the details relate to the theme, learn new information, review what they already know, and delight in the illustrations.

I don’t know that I would sit down with a toddler or preschooler and just read the book straight through very often, but when I was doing multiple story times a week, I had planned books for every theme highlighted in this book. I would have loved to be able to pull it out after a few stories had been read and used it as a review, where I could point to a picture and the kids could holler out what the illustration was teaching.  The large size would have saved me from having to make story board pieces, and the critical thinking would encourage comprehension and retention.  Example: learning about salah, and then opening to the salah spread, kids could see the vacuuming child and decode that we pray in clean places, that the picture of four people praying together is to learn/remind/teach that it is better to pray together.  

 

 

Dark Nights and Light Hearts: A Muslim Book of Opposites by Hena Khan illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

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Dark Nights and Light Hearts:  A Muslim Book of Opposites by Hena Khan illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

Every few years, for the last 13 or so, we get a new title in this series, and each one warms my cynical heart with its unapologetic Islamic representation and vibrancy.  The heartfelt rhyming lines, the Islam centering, and the enveloping illustration make these books timeless, sought after, and beloved.  This installment covers opposites, previous books in the series focused on colors, shapes, and numbers. From the BIG ummah to a SMALL baby’s aqiqah, HOT oud to COLD rain bringing barakah, SLOW honey full of shifa to FAST cars heading to Jummah, the book uses two page spreads per each term in the opposite pair with rhyming couplets in large clear font to introduce/remind, describe, and highlight an Islamic tradition.  As both opposites and Islam are conveyed, the cadence and illustrations pull Muslim and non Muslim children in and make the book delightful at storytime, in small groups, at bedtime, and for kids to look through on their own, over and over again.  Alhumdulillah.

The book is 36 pages with a Glossary of Islamic words at the end with an Author’s Note.  It is available wherever books are sold and a great reminder that well done Islamic books can make it from traditional publishers.