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.

Deep in the Sahara - point-of-view and patterns

Title: Deep in the Sahara
Author: Kelly Cunnane
Illustrator: Hoda Hadadi
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Year: 2013
Word Count: 521
Top 10 Element: Patterns
Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection

I am participating in Picture Books 14:14, a challenge created by Christie of Write Wild that encourages bloggers to review 14 picture books in 14 days, starting on Feb. 14th.

Deep in the Sahara is an immersive picture book told in second person, placing you, the reader, as young Lalla, a Muslim girl living in Mauritania in west Africa. During the course of the book, Lalla explores why she wants to wear the malafa like her mother and relatives.

Analysis: Patterns

The language in this brief picture book is lovely and rhythmic, and the second-person point-of-view is unique and unexpected. The patterning of the language matches the patterning of the story and helps reinforce the character's journey (and ours) to understanding the malafa and all it represents.

Each time, Lalla sees a different person in her malafa and expresses her wish in a lyrical way. The first one is, "More than all the stars in the sky, you want a malafa so you can be beautiful too." But then Lalla's request is rebuffed, as her mother tells her, "'Lalla, a malafa is for more than beauty.'"

For each pair of two-page spreads, the verbal patterning continues. The malafa is for more than being mysterious, the malafa is for more than being like a lady, and so forth. It is only when Lalla requests a malafa so that she can pray like her mother does the pattern stop with a powerful one-line, two-page spread. "Mama stops and looks at you." Only then is Lalla's questioning and understanding rewarded.

Second-person, present tense narration is tough to pull off and generally rare in literature, but I think that it works well in this book because most of us readers know as little about the malafa and its importance in west African Muslim communities than does Lalla. Through her eyes and through the patterning of the text, we all learn an important lesson.

Want more picture book analyses? Click here to read my other posts for Picture Books 14:14 or check out these other great posts for the Picture Book 14:14 Challenge going on the rest of this month.

Picture Books 10 for 10: Top 10 must haves

Today, August 10th, is time for the annual Picture Books 10 for 10 event (#pb10for10). Teachers and educators are challenged to choose and share their 10 favorite picture books, and the posts will be aggregated by Cathy of Reflect and Refine and Mandy of Enjoy and Embrace Learning. So, without further ado, here are my Top 10 Picture Books for Read Alouds ...

Top 10 "Must Have" Picture Books

(Un-ranked. Narrowing it down to 10 was hard enough! Each of these books are ones that I have shared and re-shared as read alouds with my third and fourth grade classes. Presented in roughly the order they are shared throughout the year.)

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This 'second day of school' book is one that I always share during the first week of school. Farah's story of being in a new school and a new country is one that resonates as we begin to establish our own class community. Students immediately grab onto the symbolism of her "different" apple becoming a part of the blended cider. This is a book we return to again and again as we learn about new people and new cultures and as well think about how to be a welcoming and inclusive community ourselves.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr (Caldecott winner). I love this book. The story is captivating, the language is incredible, and the illustrations are powerful. I love to share this story early in the school year, as we are working on finding and writing small moment stories about our own lives. This book showcases the power of one small night between a child and his/her father. Students are captivated by the story, and we return to the writing again and again as a mentor text for how to write well. A classic.

The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland, illustrated by Ted Lewin. This powerful story follows a day in the life of Ahmed as he works his rounds delivering butane gas by donkey cart in modern Cairo, Egypt. He is a thoughtful, interesting narrator and makes unique observations about the world around him and his place in it, even connecting back to Egypt's ancient history. (Skip the next paragraph if you do not want to know the ending.)

When he reveals his secret at the end (*spoiler alert* that he can write his own name in Arabic), students must suddenly face some of the realities of child labor and poverty. I always end this read aloud with a discussion of why writing is powerful and what it represents for Ahmed, and student often offer many insightful ideas and realizations. Everyone then gets their own chance to write their name in Arabic as well, and I often find students still using Arabic to sign assignments even weeks later. (I use Firdaous for help with the Arabic. There are often minor mismatches with vowels, but it is a decent approximation for most names.)

Silent Music: a story of Baghdad by James Rumford. Silent Music expands on the interest in Arabic generated by Ahmed and introduces students to some of the history and beauty of Arabic calligraphy. The story also connects to the US invasion of Iraq as Ali, the main character, finds solace in writing Arabic calligraphy under the covers during the scares of the fighting. Ali draws strength from his connection to the famous historical calligrapher, Yakut, who also focused on calligraphy through the destruction of Baghdad in the 1200s. Student find themselves easily relating to Ali, and I find myself having to pause the read aloud often so that students can try their hand at copying down the various calligraphy found throughout the story.

Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. This story about an American girl who travels to Palestine to visit her Sitti (grandmother) remains as relevant today as when it was published in 1997. Mona does not speak Arabic, but between her father's translations and the language of gestures and smiles, she builds her relationship with her grandmother. The ongoing conflicts in this region are addressed only obliquely when Mona writes her letter to the President urging him to find a peaceful solution.

Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka. This book gently introduces children to the existence of refugees and refugee camps through the touching friendship of Lina and Feroza, two girls from Afghanistan who have made their way to a refugee camp in Pakistan. Both the text and illustrations offer insights into life at camp (including the detail that the girls are excluded from the camp-run school), as well as provides a bit of the tragic back story that led them both to flee their homes and lose members of their families. An important book for introducing a difficult topic.

The Pet Dragon: a story about adventure, friendship, and Chinese characters by Christoph Niemann. On a lighter note, this story is the delightful fantasy tale of young Lin and her pet dragon, told in illustrations that introduce readers to different Chinese characters. The story itself is quick and fun, and students love being able to see and recognize new Chinese characters, as they are introduced through the illustrations. A great way to pique student interest in foreign languages!

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: a worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleishman and illustrated by Julie Paschkis. We share this fabulous picture book at the conclusion of our study of Cinderella stories from around the world (a subject for a future post). Paul Fleishman weaves more than a dozen different Cinderella tales into this one story, and Julie Paschkis' illustrations change throughout to celebrate the different folk art traditions of each country. Students love seeing the individual stories that they know well appear and disappear throughout the book. Also a good book to talk about framing, as the book itself is being read inside the book by a mother to her daughter.

Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone and illustrated by Ted Lewin (Caldecott Honor book). I love this book. The illustrations will take your breath away, with Ted Lewin's masterful paintings. Living in turn-of-the-century New York, Peppe finds himself needing to get a job to help his ailing father and his many, many sisters. But Peppe's father is a proud man and becomes angry at his son. This father-son confrontation always prompts deep discussion and conversation. In the end, everyone realizes how important the job of lightlamper can be. I read this book in connection with our unit on Ellis Island and American immigration.

What You Know First by Patricia MacLachlan and engravings by Barry Moser. Another just amazing book. We share this one near the end of the year when the students are working on writing memoir. This powerful story about moving and the importance of place resonates with students, and the "small bag of prairie dirt" helps them think about the richness of symbols and symbolism and apply these lessons to their own writing. The engraved prints for illustrations are based on family photographs of both the author and illustrator and add another dimension to this wonderful book.

There's my 10 for 10. Tons of others I would love to have included. Have a favorite you think I missed or want to share your thoughts about one of my 10? Leave a comment below!

5 Positive Picture Books for Ramadan

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is coming to an end soon, as the full moon is already waning its way towards next week's new moon. Why not take a moment during this time to think about adding some Ramadan books to your school or classroom library? These five fictional tales will help introduce students to some of the traditions and meaning of Ramadan.

Books about the Month of Ramadan

Night of the Moon: a Muslim holiday story by Hena Khan and illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Night of the Moon tells the story of the month of Ramadan through the eyes of seven-year-old Yasmeen (though her age and background as a Pakastani-American are directly referenced only on the book jacket, not within the story). Yasmeen's journey through the month and her questions provide background knowledge for the reader while still keeping the story interesting. 

Julie Paschkis used Islamic tiles as her inspiration for the designs and patterns behind the main illustrations, and her use of color gives the book a unified feel. I particularly appreciate the diversity of students pictured in Yasmeen's class and at the Night of the Moon celebration, as the illustrations reinforce the point that this is a story for everyone. 

Moon Watchers: Shirin's Ramadan Miracle by Reza Jalali and illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien follows in a very similar vein but with a slightly older protagonist, nine-year-old Shirin. (Again, it is only explicit in the jacket cover that the story takes place in America.) This book also follows Shirin's full month of Ramadan but with a stronger focus on some of the important practices like fasting, prayer, and good deeds. The realistic style of the illustrations may make it easier for younger readers to connect these characters to real people around them.

Under the Ramadan Moon by Sylvia Whitman is a lovely poem of a picture book about Ramadan. I generally love poetic picture books, but the level of repetition in this one could become tedious for somewhat older students. This would probably make a better one-on-one read than a whole class read aloud. The author concludes with a page-long note providing additional background about Ramadan.

Books about Eid

Samira's Eid by Nasreen Aktar and illustrated by Enebor Attard is a bilingual book available in ten different dual language editions: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Gujurati, Panjabi, Somali, Turkish, and Urdu (the Arabic cover is pictured). This realistic fiction picture book focuses on the celebration of Eid at the conclusion of the month of Ramadan and follows Samira and her brother Hassan as they prepare. The setting is never explicit in this story, allowing the readers to infer their own connections between the location and the languages of the story.

Nabeel's New Pants: an Eid Tale retold by Fawzia Gilani-Williams and illustrated by Proiti Roy. This fun folktale was one of the books I picked up during my summer in Jordan, and it is a humorous take on Eid. As everyone hurries to get ready, Nabeel asks different family members to help him hem his pants. They each independently decide to help him secretly with predictably disastrous results!

Want more? Check out More Great Picture Books about Ramadans and Muslim Culture. Do you have a favorite Ramadan picture book that I have missed? Let me know in the comments.