Saturday, July 18, 2015

More Great Picture Books about Ramadan and Muslim Culture

Last year, the coincide with the beginning of Ramadan, I published a post on 5 Positive Picture Books for Ramadan. Since then, I have found several more wonderful books to share.


A Party in Ramadan (2009) by Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Laura Jacobsen. Leena faces a dilemma: she has promised to fast for the first Friday of Ramadan but she has received an invitation to a classmate's birthday party. This story is a great introduction to Ramadan and how to be accepting of others. (H/T Alex's great post Some Books about Ramadan for Younger Readers.)


The White Nights of Ramadan (2008) by Maha Addasi and illustrated by Ned Gannon. Set during the middle of the month of Ramadan (the white nights refer to the full moon), Noor is looking forward to celebrating with her neighbors.


Going to Mecca (2012) by Na'ima B. Robert and illustrated by Valentina Cavallini. This is a lovely second-person book that invites you, the reader, to join the pilgrims on each step of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. A note at the back provides more contexts about the individual steps during the journey. I really appreciated the details of this story and especially how the illustrator sought to be inclusive in her collage, including women, children, and people with disabilities. (H/T Myra from Gathering Books.)


The Best Eid Ever (2007) by Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Laura Jacobsen. Aneesa is disappointed to be celebrating Eid al-Adha without her parents, who are undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage. But by befriending two recent refugee girls, Aneesa learns an important lesson about the true importance of Eid.


Time to Pray (2010) by Maha Addasi, translated by Nuha Albitar, and illustrated by Ned Gannon. In this tender bilingual book, young Yasmin is visiting her grandmother in a Muslim country. Fascinated by the calls of the muezzin, she asks her grandmother to teach her to pray. When she returns home (presumably to America), she finds a special gift from her grandmother to remind her about her prayers. A note at the end of the book describes the five times for prayer and the reasons behind them. (H/T Myra from Gathering Books.)

Find more great recommendations in the first post in this series, 5 Positive Picture Books for Ramadan.



2 comments:

  1. https://globetrottinkids.com/2016/04/04/zachariahs-perfect-day-a-book-review/

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    1. Thanks for highlighting your book, Farrah. Looks like another excellent addition to this list!

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