MY NAME IS BILAL

In this message-driven episode, a Muslim child tries to hide his identity after seeing his big sister harassed on their first day in a new school, but regains his footing thanks to help from a Muslim teacher and a book. At first, Bilal introduces himself to his class as “Bill,” but after reading about early Muslim hero Bilal Ibn Rabah, he gains the confidence to face his sister’s bully down, and even to invite him into a basketball game after school. Drab illustrations and book design reinforce the overt purpose here, but as Bilal isn’t just a two-dimensional figure, and the setting is far less scary than that in Hristo Kyuchukov’s My Name Was Hussein, illus by Allan Eitzen (2004), this may be useful in sparking discussions with younger audiences about prejudice. (afterword) (Picture book. 7-9)