A simple, child-friendly introduction to Salah.
An explanation of the second pillar of Islam.
Starting with the “Night Journey, known as Isra wal Miraj,” Khan describes how Prophet Muhammad reached the Al-Aqsa Mosque and “was raised up to the heavens and invited to meet Allah Who gave him the most precious gift to share with us all…The Gift of Salah.” Simple, descriptive language outlines the importance of Salah, or the five daily prayers, in which Muslims thank, remember, and ask Allah for forgiveness. The prayers—Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha—are clearly listed, with illustrations using color to indicate the time of day for each. Khan emphasizes the importance of cleanliness before praying and offers a relevant verse from the Quran. The book also names and depicts the different parts of Salah. Lodge uses the same style as in her and Khan’s My First Book About the Qur’an (2017)—bright illustrations of figures with sweet, rounded faces, often surrounded by stars and butterflies. Her images pair well with Khan’s words, capturing the movement of the prayers. A spread depicting the call to prayer, with text flowing across the page as if from the muezzin’s mouth, is especially effective. Some Arabic words include the English meanings, while others do not and may need to be defined. The people depicted are racially diverse; one spread portrays someone who uses a wheelchair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A simple, child-friendly introduction to Salah. (facts about Islam, questions about prayer) (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-86037-852-5
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Kube Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasant-enough introduction to feelings and how those feelings emerge.
Little readers learn about their feelings.
Feelings can influence behavior in unusual ways, and this board book shows little ones the cause-and-effect relationship feelings and actions may have. The faith-based nature of the board book positions God as the source of feelings, but the book’s larger interest lies in behavioral causes. For example, “When Jo feels happy, he jumps and leaps!” or “When Ava feels sad, she sometimes cries.” The animals are depicted in close-up on verso so readers can clearly see their expressions, and then medium shots of their actions are presented on the facing page. This technique emphasizes the importance of decoding facial expressions when determining a person’s feelings. The animals that exhibit feelings are suitably round and cuddly, colored in a soft, pastel palette. The final two pages contain resources for parents to help them talk to their children about feelings and faith.
A pleasant-enough introduction to feelings and how those feelings emerge. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5064-1782-0
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Sparkhouse
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This book falls short of its promise.
A compendium of profiles of people of color who have changed the world.
Each page of this colorful board book contains between four and nine profiles of people of color whose activism and leadership have changed the world. The descriptive text for each leader chosen is extremely short—only one sentence long—quickly outlining each person’s background, heritage, accomplishments, and little else. Each profile is accompanied by a bobbleheadlike cartoon illustration of the leader in question, rendered with bold colors and nearly identical in their simplified facial features. The heroes chosen are diverse in terms of their race, ethnicity, gender, ability, and areas of expertise, including African American athlete and artist Ernie Barnes, Dominican fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, Kwakwaka’wakw artist Ellen Ka’kasolas Neel, and president of Ecuador Lenín Moreno, who uses a wheelchair. Although the range is impressive, it is also confusing: A few sentences of additional text sporadically appear, serving little purpose and breaking the flow, nor does there seem to be any unifying threads to the groupings. Additionally, some of the choices of heroes are questionable: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, for example, was often criticized for engaging in corruption and doing little to further the cause of women’s rights, while “spiritual leader” Sudehanshu Biswas is hardly known even in his home country of India.
This book falls short of its promise. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-32642-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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