Tag Archives: Zainab Arshad

My Prophet ﷺ , Myself by Dana Nass illustrated by Zainab Arshad

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My Prophet ﷺ , Myself by Dana Nass illustrated by Zainab Arshad

I truly cannot figure out this title, and am hoping someone can explain it to me. With that being said, the book, shukr Alhumdulillah, at least has a Bibliography. For nonfiction reads, I have begun to check that first, and then decide whether to read the book. After a few chapters though, the book was reading a little stilted, so I read the author’s bio on the back, and then it started to make more sense.  The book is divided into 21 virtues, and little vignettes of RasulaAllah’s life are shared that support the theme of the chapter, but there isn’t a lot of discussion, or hand-holding. Each chapter defines the virtue, shares a bulleted list of how Prophet Muhammad ﷺ practiced the given topic, shares some example snapshots, then asks a few “Practical Application Questions.” Nothing wrong with it, the writing is decent, the stories of our Beloved obviously incredible, but when I saw that the author writes curriculums, it made more sense to me that, while this book might be for 6-12 year olds, it doesn’t necessarily mean most in that age range will sit down and read it cover to cover.  After reading the book, I found it to be a very useful tool though.  I can see teachers of after school programs, or Muslim summer camps, or Sunday schools working through a lesson a class period khatira style, or in a discussion where the children can discuss what they understood about the stories shared of the Prophet, their understanding of the virtues in their own lives, and how they can be more aligned with the life of the best teacher and example, inshaAllah.

The book is 128 pages and the soft back binding is large 11 x 7, making it easy to hold and read if addressing an audience.  There are a few illustrated pages to break up the text, and the little, presumably Rabata Firefly, buzzing around most pages.  The 21 virtues are Empathy, Trustworthiness, Self-Control, Contentment, Seeking Knowledge, Responsibility, Maintaining Ties of Kinship, Courage, Fairness, Generosity, Confidence, Grit, Honesty, Inclusivity, Loving for the Sake of Allah, Honoring Our Parents, Teamwork, Leadership, Kindness, Respect, and Gratitude.

It’s Jummah! The Sunnah and Etiquettes of Friday! by Najia Rastgar & Lyazzat Mukhangaliyeva illustrated by Zainab Arshad

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It’s Jummah! The Sunnah and Etiquettes of Friday! by Najia Rastgar & Lyazzat Mukhangaliyeva illustrated by Zainab Arshad

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This is a very straight forward toddler board book about what you should do on Jummah.  The simple text, the blocky pictures and the overall size and feel of the book make it a great teaching tool for establishing routine. 

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The book is 10 pages and measures at about 6×6 inches.  It is very sturdy and solid and perfect for babies up to 2 or 3 years old.

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The day starts with waking up for jummah, taking a bath, reading Quran and praying in the mosque.

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I like that it is completely linear, and that the words under the pictures offer the Islamic vocabulary.  There are also no faces in the pictures. There isn’t a story, but the opening line of “Let’s wake up!” make your little one the star.  

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There aren’t a lot of toddler board books out there, and thankfully this one doesn’t have any flaps to lift up or more text than a one year old can handle.