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MY FIRST BOOK ABOUT THE QUR'AN by Sara Khan

MY FIRST BOOK ABOUT THE QUR'AN

by Sara Khan ; illustrated by Alison Lodge

Pub Date: Oct. 10th, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-86037-618-7
Publisher: Kube Publishing

In this introductory board book, Khan outlines lessons from the Quran in simple language for the very young.

The book begins with “The Qur’an tells us… / …in the beginning only Allah was,” followed by the creation of “the Heavens” and the Earth, and then the creatures that we see, such as animals and humans, and those we do not see, such as angels and “jinn.” The book describes the Quran as a book of instructions for life and goes on to explain some of those guidelines in broad strokes, such as being good to others and being thankful. The five pillars of Islam (worshiping only Allah, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage) are presented as what “Allah wants us” to do. Getting married and having “happy families” and children are included in what “Allah wants us” to do, an inclusion that seems a bit out of place in a list of major themes from the Quran. The illustrations use a cheerful, pink- and yellow-based palette, sprinkling them with stars and butterflies, in a playful drawing style. The people display a range of skin tones, and one spread depicts a person who uses a wheelchair. While the language is fairly basic, some terms, such as “thankful” and “hajj,” will require explanation.

An explicitly didactic introduction to major lessons in the Quran that some traditional Muslim families will welcome

. (Board book. 2-4)