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. 25, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
Categories: CHILDREN'S HISTORY | CHILDREN'S RELIGION
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BOOK REVIEW
Originally published in 1998 with illustrations by Lorraine Wells, then republished in 2010 with art by Rebecca Thornburgh, Pingry’s Nativity story sees new life with fresh artwork by Buckingham.
A brown-skinned family gathers on Christmas and learns the story of Jesus’ birth, from the angel telling Mary that she will have a child, to Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem, to, finally, the Wise Men celebrating the new baby’s birth. At the end, the present-day family exchanges gifts as a sign of love for each other and celebrates Jesus’ birthday. The somewhat bland text treads familiar ground; this is a story that’s been told and retold many times, though it does break the tale down into digestible pieces for young children. Because the explanations are fairly simple, it may not be helpful to those seeking to learn about the holiday. The illustrations, however, are cheery and warm. Notably, the biblical figures, except for a couple of light-skinned angels, are depicted in varying shades of brown skin—a welcome change from books about the Nativity that portray characters as White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Worth wading through the text for the artwork, which offers a more inclusive portrayal of the Nativity. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0233-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S RELIGION
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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. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | CHILDREN'S HISTORY
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