Muslim Child: Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems

Rating:
Summary: Timely and informative
Review: A timely book that fills gap, Muslim Child consists of 8 stories that illustrate the history of Islam, the 5 pillars of Muslim religion (belief, praying, fasting, charity and the pilgrimage to Mecca) and introduce traditional Islamic customs of dress, diet, and celebration. Written by a practicing Muslim, the stories stress that the religion is worldwide with diverse practitioners, and shows Muslim children struggling with fitting in while keeping the faith.
The author states in her introduction that her intention is to "Correct the misconceptions regarding Muslims" but there are several minor errors in comparing the culture of America and Christian religion to Islam, for example, stating that Halloween is a celebration of the forces of evil when it is based on the pagan new year.
The stories themselves are unexceptional; for example, in "The Black Ghost," point of view shifts midway through the story, and the endings of most are predictable. Still, the sprinkling of Arabic and small cultural details make the setting genuine. Sidebars define unfamiliar terms, but much of the information is repetitive, as if the publisher did not intend the work to be read a whole. Informational pages containing traditional recipes, excerpts from the Quran, or a history lesson are interspersed between the fiction, and a glossary and pronunciation guide concludes the book.
Hopefully this will be the first of many such books about a people that are in the forefront of our minds and that makes up a fifth of the world's population.

Rating:
Summary: A unique book for all kinds of children
Review: Having read Muslim Child, I really think it could be titled "Child". It's for anyone.

I've never seen a book that deals with issues of faith in such a way. As a Catholic I could completely identify with the feelings of the kids in the stories.

It really made me appreciate the similarities between our respective religions.

I think it's this author's best book.

Rating:
Summary: Designed to teach young readers about Islam
Review: Written by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Patty Gallinger, and with sidebars by Irfan Alli, Muslim Child: Understanding Islam Through Stories And Poems is a selection of stories and poems designed to teach young readers about Islam. Muslim Child is emphatically not a proselytizing book, but rather an informational one, designed to show young people how Islamic children live, what they believe, and what the common practices of their faith are. A highly recommended and educational book for children everywhere, in an increasingly globalized world and in view of contemporary world events.