Top Books for Ramadan
I am beyond honoured to have Summar Saad of The Cozy Home Chronicles author my first ever guest blog post, featuring perfect picture books for Ramadan.
I have been in awe of Summar since I came across a stunning project called “Our Beautiful Colors” - a resource to teach children about diversity. In the resource, Summar contributed a meaningful Color Scavenger Hunt that, through nature finds, teaches children that brown comes in all shades - just like humans.
Summar (or “Sammy”) is a mom of three and a PhD candidate in anthropology. When she’s not writing her dissertation, you can find her writing about all things mom and home life on her blog The Cozy Home Chronicles. Her Instagram page is also full of incredible DIY projects, recipes, cozy, small-space style, simple, sustainable, mindful living, and more.
by H.A. Rey and Hena Khan
Age group: 2-5 years
This board book is a great introduction to the Muslim month of Ramadan. Filled with fun rhymes, it follows George and his friend Kareem through a day of fasting, charity, and celebration.
About the Author: Hena Khan is a Pakistani-American Muslim who was born and raised in Maryland, and enjoys sharing and writing about her culture and religion. When she is not cooking up a story, she is often actually cooking food or baking treats for her family or friends. She also spent a good chunk of her life writing and editing for international organizations that work to improve the health of people around the world [www.henakhan.com]. H.A. Rey and his wife, Margret are the creators of the Curious George books. Although both of the Reys have passed away — Hans in 1977 and Margret in 1996—George lives on in the Curious George Foundation. Established in 1989, this foundation funds programs for children that share Curious George’s irresistible qualities—ingenuity, opportunity, determination, and curiosity in learning and exploring [www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com].
The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard
Age group: 4-8 years
Sophia is too young to fast, but that doesn’t stop her from participating and learning what Ramadan is truly about.
About the Author: Rabiah grew up in Northern Virginia, a place she still calls home. After embracing Islam at the age of eighteen, she earned a BA in religious studies from George Washington University and is completing her MFA in creative writing at Spalding University. While not raising her three daughters or plodding along with her latest draft, she also works as a part-time writing specialist at local universities. Her work has been written up in PBS Kids, BBC Persia, the School Library Journal and more. Favorite pastimes include rescuing cats and riding bikes with her little women [www.rabiahyorklumbard.com].
Under the Ramadan Moon by Sylvia Whitman
Age group: 4-8 years
Filled with cozy illustrations, this book describes all the festivities that happen under a Ramadan moon.
About the Author: The youngest of five kids, Sylvia Whitman grew up on Long Island, NY, in a house full of books. In addition to an MFA in creative writing, she has master’s degrees in American studies and Arab studies. She has copy edited at daily newspapers, supervised college writing centers, and taught both children and adults [www.sylviawhitmanbooks.com].
Ramadan by Hannah Eliot
Age group: 2-4 years
This small board book with bright, colorful illustrations is perfect for toddlers and early readers. It contains simple facts about the month that capture the spirit of Ramadan.
About the Author: Hannah Eliot is a children’s book editor who lives in Manhattan, New York. Her favorite activities include editing (of course), writing, painting, and doodling all over every piece of notebook paper she uses [www.simonandschuster.ca].
Ramadan Around the World by Ndaa Hassan
Age group: 4-8 years
This is a beautiful book that showcases the diversity of Muslims across the globe through short vignettes of what Ramadan looks like in different parts of the world.
About the Author: Ndaa Hassan is a wife, mother, artist, social entrepreneur and creative design enthusiast with a passion for storytelling, traveling and learning about other cultures. Her portfolio spans many community-centered projects and a handful of story times filled with lots of excitement, laughs and giggles. Ramadan Around The World is her first venture into children’s literature. It is a story inspired by her children and their Ramadan celebrations [books.google.ca].
Moon Watchers: Shirin’s Ramadan Miracle by Reza Jalali
Age group: 6-8 years
This book tells the story of Shirin and her family’s traditions during the month of Ramadan. It is about sibling rivalry as well as about the lessons learned from fasting.
About the Author: Reza Jalali is a writer and community organizer. Originally from Iran, Jalali, who holds an MFA, has taught at the University of Southern Maine and Bangor Theological Seminary. He's an administrator at the university of Southern Maine [www.goodreads.com].
Ramadan by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi
Age group: 4-8 years
Told from the point of view of a young boy named Hakeem, this book presents facts about Islam and the importance of the month of Ramadan to Muslims. It introduces relevant Arabic words and their meanings and draws parallels to other faiths and places of worship. It is a great introduction to Ramadan for older readers.
A Party in Ramadan by Asma Mobin-Uddin
Age group: 7-9 years
Leena is excited for the first day of Ramadan but it also happens to be the day of her friend’s birthday party. Leena has a difficult decision to make about whether she will fast and through her experience, readers glimpse what it’s really like to give up food and drink for a day.
About the Author: Asma Mobin-Uddin is a pediatrician who has taken time off from her pediatric practice to raise her children. In addition to being a full-time mother, she has made her publishing debut with My Name Is Bilal, with which she inspires young readers to be true to themselves and cherish their identity instead of being afraid of what others might think of them [www.encyclopedia.com].
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