Children's Books with Islamic Themes
Barakah Beats by ISBN: 9781338702064Publication Date: 2021-10-19A sweet, powerful, and joyous novel about a girl who finds her voice on her own terms. Twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif has spent her whole life in Islamic school, but now it's time to go to "real school." Unfortunately, middle school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Nimra gets the cold-shoulder. Desperate to fit in, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to join the school's popular 8th grade boy band, Barakah Beats. The only problem is, Nimra was taught that music isn't allowed in Islam, and she knows her parents would be disappointed if they found out. So she devises a simple plan: join the band, then quietly drop out before her parents find out. But dropping out of the band proves harder than expected. Nimra really likes hanging out with the band--they value her contributions and respect how important her faith is to her. Then Barakah Beats signs up for a talent show to benefit refugees, and Nimra's lies start to unravel.
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The Best Eid Ever by ISBN: 9781590784310Publication Date: 2007-10-01Young readers can learn about Eid, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslim families every year, as well as the Hajj pilgrimage, when Muslims travel back to Mecca for the Eid, in this picture book written by Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Laura Jacobsen. This Eid, Aneesa should be happy. But, her parents are thousands of miles away for the Hajj pilgrimage. To cheer her up, her Nonni gives her a gift of beautiful clothes, one outfit for each of the three days of Eid. At the prayer hall, Aneesa meets two sisters who are dressed in ill-fitting clothes for the holiday. She soon discovers that the girls are refugees - they had to leave everything behind when they left their native country to live in America. Aneesa, who can't stop thinkingabout what Eid must be like for them, comes up with a plan - a plan to help make it the best Eid holiday ever.
Awards:
- Middle East Book Award, 2008, Honorable Mention, Picture Book
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Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets by ISBN: 9781452182742Publication Date: 2021-03-09Magnificently capturing the shapes of Islam, this acclaimed book that inspired curiosity and conversations about world religions and cultures is now available in paperback. From a crescent moon to a square garden to an octagonal fountain, this breathtaking picture book celebrates the shapes-and traditions--of the Muslim world. With stunning illustrations, a rhyming read-aloud text, and strong backmatter,Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets will inspire questions and observations about world religions and cultures, and is equally at home in a classroom reading circle as it is being read to a child on a parent's lap.
Awards:
- Middle East Book Award: Honorable Mention, 2018
- Chicago Public Library Best Book, 2018
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In My Mosque by ISBN: 9780062978707Publication Date: 2021-03-23A celebration of Islam and mosques as spaces for spiritual gathering, “In My Mosque” explores all the rituals and wonder of the mosque. From grandmothers reading lines of the Qur'an and the imam telling stories of living as one, to meeting new friends and learning to help others, mosques are centers for friendship, community, and love. M. O. Yuksel's beautiful text celebrates the joys and traditions found in every mosque around the world and is brought to life with stunning artwork by New York Times bestselling illustrator Hatem. Themes of family and friendship prevail, along with references to spirituality.
Awards
- 2022 ALA Notable Children's picture book
- 2021 Nerdy Book Club Award Winner for Best Nonfiction Picture
- CCBC 2022 Best Choice of the Year
- 2022 Notable Book for a Global Society
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Lailah's Lunchbox by ISBN: 9780884484318Publication Date: 2015-05-01Lailah solves her problem with help from the school librarian and her teacher and in doing so learns that she can make new friends who respect her beliefs. This gentle, moving story from first-time author Reem Faruqi comes to life in Lea Lyon's vibrant illustrations. Lyon uses decorative arabesque borders on intermittent spreads to contrast the ordered patterns of Islamic observances with the unbounded rhythms of American school days.
Awards:
- International Latino Book Award, 2017, 2nd Place, Best Youth Chapter Fiction Book(Spanish or Bilingual)
- Skipping Stones Honor Award, 2016, Winner, Multicultural And International
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Moon Watchers by ISBN: 9780884485872Publication Date: 2017-05-16For Muslim people around the world, Ramadan is a month-long time for prayer, fasting, and charity. This "month of blessing" is not viewed as a time of hardship but instead as a time to develop self-discipline and increase awareness of and compassion for the poor and the hungry. It is a time to deepen connection with Allah through prayer and community. For this much-anticipated month, Muslim people gather together in homes, shops, and restaurants to break their fasts and pray.Islam uses a lunar calendar, so the timing of Ramadan depends on the cycles of the moon. Ramadan lasts a lunar month: from new moon to full moon and back to new moon. Ramadan always begins on the first night of the new moon of the ninth month of the year. Because the lunar calendar's months are shorter than the solar calendar's months, Ramadan appears to "move" from year to year. As a result, fasting (no food or water) during the winter months is not quite so much a challenge as fasting during long, hot summer days.It is the custom to start the day with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor, then not eat or drink again until after the sun has set. That post-daylight meal is called iftar. Sharing these pre-dawn and post-sunset meals is an important part of community and family bonding, which is part of why Shirin feels a bit left out. Ramadan ends with a gift-giving celebration called Eid ul-Fitr, which means "festival of breaking the fast.
Awards:
- Skipping Stones Honor Award, 2011, Winner, Multicultural And International
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My Name Is Bilal by ISBN: 9781590781753Publication Date: 2005-08-01A young boy wrestles with his Muslim identify in this picture book for children written by Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, with illustrations by Barbara Kiwak. When Bilal and his sister Ayesha move with their family, they have to attend a new school. They soon find out that they may be the only Muslim students there. When Bilal sees his sister bullied on their first day, he worries about being teased himself, and thinks it might be best if his classmates didn't know that he is Muslim. Maybe if he tells kids his name is Bill, rather than Bilal, then they would leave him alone. Mr. Ali, one of Bilal's teachers and also Muslim, sees how Bilalis struggling. He gives Bilal a book about the first person to give the call to prayer during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. That person was another Bilal: Bilal Ibn Rabah. What Bilal learns from the book forms the compelling story of a young boy grappling with his identity.
Awards:
- Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, 2006, Winner, Grades 4-6
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The Night of the Moon by ISBN: 9780811860628Publication Date: 2008-09-01Yasmeen, a seven-year-old Pakistani-American girl, celebrates the Muslim holidays of Ramadan, "The Night of the Moon" (Chaand Raat), and Eid. With lush illustrations that evoke Islamic art, this beautiful story offers a window into modern Muslim culture--and into the ancient roots from within its traditions have grown.
Awards:
- Parents' Choice Award, 2008, Approved, Picture Book
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One Green Apple by ISBN: 9780618434770Publication Date: 2006-06-12Farah feels alone, even when surrounded by her classmates. She listens and nods but doesn’t speak. It’s hard being the new kid in school, especially when you’re from another country and don’t know the language. Then, on a field trip to an apple orchard, Farah discovers there are lots of things that sound the same as they did at home, from dogs crunching their food to the ripple of friendly laughter. As she helps the class make apple cider, Farah connects with the other students and begins to feel that she belongs. Ted Lewin’s gorgeous sun-drenched paintings and Eve Bunting’s sensitive text immediately put the reader into another child’s shoes in this timely story of a young Muslim immigrant.
Awards:
- Best Children's Books of the Year, 2007 Ages 5 to 9
- Booklist Top 10 Religion Books for Youth, 2006
- Images of Community: Selected Books for Children and Young Adult, 2011
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A Party in Ramadan by ISBN: 9781590786048Publication Date: 2009-04-01Readers learn about the Islamic observance of Ramadan in this charming story of a young Muslim girl determined to do the right thing during her first Ramadan fast. Ramadan is coming and Leena is excited. Although she is too young to fast every day during the Muslim religious festival, Leena decides to fast each Friday instead. When Leena receives an invitation to a party which happens to fall on Friday, she has a dilemma. She doesn't want to miss the party, but she doesn't want to miss fasting either. So Leena decides to go to the party, but not eat or drink anything at all. Later, she will join her family for the meal known as iftar, when the daily fast is broken. But when Leena, who is the only Muslim at the party, sees her friends enjoying fresh lemonade and chocolate cake, her stomach starts to growl and her head begins to hurt. Will she keep her Ramadan fast?
Awards:
- Parents' Choice Award, 2009, Approved, Picture Book
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The Proudest Blue by ISBN: 9780316519007Publication Date: 2019-09-10A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school--and two sisters on one's first day of hijab--by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad. With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It's the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it's her older sister Asiya's first day of hijab--a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong. Paired with Hatem Aly's beautiful, whimsical art, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali bring readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.
Awards:
- Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children, 2020, Recommended
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Under My Hijab by ISBN: 1620147920Publication Date: 2019-02-05This lovely book from the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns invites readers to understand and appreciate the hijab and the Muslim women who decide to wear it. Grandma's hijab clasps under her chin. Auntie pins hers up with a whimsical brooch. Jenna puts a sun hat over hers when she hikes. Iman wears a sports hijab for tae kwon do. As a young girl observes the women in her life and how each covers her hair a different way, she dreams of the possibilities in her own future and how she might express her personality through her hijab. With cheerful rhyming text by the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, and charming illustrations from a talented newcomer, Under My Hijab provides a friendly introduction to hijabs for all readers, and celebrates the many Muslim women and girls who choose to wear them.
Awards:
- Parents' Choice Award, 2019, Recommended, Picture Book