The Islamic New Year was October 1st. It came and went and few of us noticed. Well, this list of epic Muslim books for children is there to change that.

Islamic literature has been underrepresented for a long time. It used to be filled with stereotypes and false information, but more and more own voice writers are emerging, and Jee, do their books rock!

 

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq (2005), written & illustrated by Jeanette Winter is the story of Alia Muhammad Baker, a chief librarian in Basra, Iraq. When bombs hit her library, in 2003, she and a Muslim friend save 70% of the books by hiding them in their homes. This story shows how the civilians are the ones who suffer the most during armed conflicts because the country’s art, artifacts and knowledge are burned away and destroyed. We also learn that the library of Basra contained books in other languages picturing other people in the world like we have in our own libraries.

 

Deep in the Sahara (2013) by Kelly Cunnane (illustrated by Hoda Hadadi) is the story of Lalla, a girl who lives in Mauritania. Her dream is to wear the malafa, a beautiful local garment, but she is still too young. The story, beautifully illustrated, gives an inner look at the complex reasons why Muslim women freely wear their veil.

 

King For a Day (2013) by Rukhsana Khan (illustrated by Christiane Krömer) tells the story of Malik, a Pakistani boy, who, despite his handicap, masters the art of kite making and kite wrestling. The story really shows that it’s not enough to become the “king”. A king is not truly one unless he shows compassion and shares from his wealth.

 

 

The Sky of Afghanistan (2012) by Ana A de Eulate (Illustrated by Sonja Wimmer) is a gorgeously illustrated and powerfully written story of an Afghan girl, Malala, and her dreams for peace.

 

 

 

Four Feet, Two Sandals (2016) by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed  (illustrated by Doug Chayka) tells the story of two young Afghani refugees living in a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan. Relief workers bring clothes and Lina finds a beautiful sandal. Feroza, another refugee, finds the other sandal. They haven’t had shoes in years. They decide to take turns wearing the sandals and from then on a friendship grows between them. This is a moving story that shows the difficulty of living in camps.

 

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust (2010) by Karen Gray Ruelle (illustrated by Deborah Durland DeSaix) is a historical picture book talking about compassion and empathy. It shows a story few people know about. During the Nazi occupation of France, a group of Muslims took on themselves to give certificates of Muslim identity to Jews so that they could avoid persecution. The Jewish families hid in the mosque that had gardens, apartments, and a library.

 

Under the Ramadan Moon (2011) by Sylvia Whitman. Soft and warm pastel colors along with a lyrical prose introduce us to the month of Ramadan and its rituals. Unlike regular Ramadan stories that emphasize on the fast, this book reminds Muslims that Ramadan is mostly about giving in charity, being kind, praying, and abandoning bad habits.

 

 

Snow in Jerusalem (2001) by Deborah da Costa (illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu) is the poignant story of Hamudi, a Muslim boy and Avi, a Jewish boy, fighting over a street cat they both feed between their houses. They eventually learn to share the cat and its litter.

 

 

The Best Eid Ever (2007) by Mobin-Uddin Asma (illustrated by Laura Jacobsen) is the story of Aneesa who helps refugees. When she receives beautiful clothes for Eid, one of the biggest celebrations of the year for Muslims, she realizes that being Muslim is about sharing what we love the most.

 

 

My Name Was Hussein (2004) by Hristo Kyuchukov (illustrated by Allan Eitzen) is the story of a Bulgarian Roma boy forced to change his Muslim name to a Christian name when an army invades his village. Based on a true story. This tale shows the tradition of Ramadan and also talks about a boy forced to reconsider and question his identity. 

 

 

Resources:

Leilinh. “Book List: Picture Books about Muslim or Middle Eastern Characters”
http://blog.leeandlow.com/2014/05/15/book-list-picture-books-about-muslim-or-middle-eastern-characters/

 “Muslim Booklist – Contemporary Novels & Short Story Collections.”
http://www.rukhsanakhan.com/muslimbooklist/novels-shortstory.html

“Novels from Muslim Countries.”
http://www.unc.edu/~cernst/novels.htm

Peckinpaugh, Timothy. “Islamic Facts for Kids.” http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/islamic-kids-5693.html

 

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