PROPHET SULAYMAN & HUDHUD

Name: PROPHET SULAYMAN & HUDHUD
Author: Nabi Raza Mir Abidi
ISBN: 978-1-68312-077-3

by Nabi Raza Mir Abidi ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A well-illustrated tale that’s suitable for children whose parents seek to encourage their Muslim faith.

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

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This book, intended to “establish an Islāmic foundation for the future generations,” is the fifth in a series about the roles of animals in the Quran, and focuses on the bird Hudhud.

The Prophet Sulayman rules over a large number of people, and has the ability to communicate with animals. One day, he discovers that his messenger bird, Hudhud, is missing. He asks the eagle Kurkus, leader of all birds, to search for him, to no avail. It’s revealed that Hudhud’s in the city of Saba, where the people, led by Queen Bilquis, worship the sun. The bird quickly travels back to Sulayman and tells him the news. The leader is distraught that Bilquis and her people aren’t worshipping Allah, so he sends her a letter, asking her to reconsider. The two rulers test each other, and eventually, Bilquis’ faith in Allah is solidified. Overall, Abidi (Prophet Musa & the Serpent, 2018, etc.) provides an appealing introduction to important events in the Quran. The story is paired with bright, colorful digital illustrations; Sulayman’s face, in particular, is illuminated to denote his holy nature. The end of the book provides questions that caregivers can use to help start conversations with their children about the story and its deeper meaning.

A well-illustrated tale that’s suitable for children whose parents seek to encourage their Muslim faith.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 978-1-68312-077-3

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Kisa Kids Publications

Review Posted Online: June 22, 2020

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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MORE THAN PEACH

by Bellen Woodard ; illustrated by Fanny Liem ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2022

An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom.

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A Black girl’s simple observation propels her into activism.

Woodard, who launched the More Than Peach Project—which arranges for classrooms and children in need to receive kits that include art supplies and boxes of multicultural crayons (crayons in a variety of skin tones)—relates the incident that sparked her journey. As the book begins, she is dropped off at school and notices that her family’s skin tone differs from that of her classmates. While it is clear that she is one of a few children of color at school, that difference isn’t really felt until her friends start asking for the “skin-color” crayon when they mean peach. She’s bothered that no one else seems to notice that skin comes in many colors, so she devises a unique way of bringing everyone’s attention to that fact. With support from her family and her school, she encourages her fellow classmates to rethink their language and starts an initiative to ensure that everyone’s skin tone is represented in each crayon box. Appealing, realistic artwork depicts Woodard’s experiences, while endpapers feature More Than Peach crayon boxes and childlike illustrations of kids of different ethnicities doing various activities. The story is stirring and will motivate budding activists. (This book was reviewed digitally; the review has been updated for factual accuracy.)

An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom. (note from Woodard, information on Woodard’s journey into activism, instructions on starting a drive) (Picture-book biography. 6-10)

Pub Date: July 26, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-338-80927-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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CASTLE

illustrated by David Macaulay ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1977

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Everything you've always wanted to know about how a castle was defended—in a fusion of the organic and the technical that David Macaulay hasn't quite achieved before. "On a high limestone outcrop" along the Welsh coast, master engineer James and his staff build a castle and a town for Lord Kevin—to help secure northwest Wales, in 1283, for Edward I. Thus, from one or another bird's-eye view, one sees the site as a ditch outlines the town, a moat cuts off the castle rock, bounding walls and towers rise, houses line the streets and stretch, with their garden plots, to the town wall—where at last, in 1295, Welsh soldiers mount an attack. Meanwhile, one has also watched, close-up, the intricate construction of battlements, towers, gatehouses (and garderobes) designed to make the imaginary "Aberwyvern" an impregnable fortress. So there is no little drama in seeing the attack repulsed, the defenses hold; but Macaulay does it artfully, with pictures (a catapult assembled, and then abandoned), and moves on in good historic order to the town spreading beyond the walls, Welsh and English passing freely through the gates. At the very last "Master James's mighty castle" is a moonlit ruin—ending in romance what began as a calculated plan. The factually-minded and fantasizers will find equal reward here.