Film: "Eid Mubarak" - Streaming on PBS

Eid Mubarak

"A privileged six-year-old Pakistani girl embarks on a mission to save her beloved pet goat from being eaten on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Azha, only to learn the meaning of sacrifice."

You can watch it at https://www.pbs.org/video/eid-mubarak-iobidg/ through July 14, 2026. 

Note: I disapprove of the visual depiction of Ibrahim & Ismail غليهما السلام in the film. The narration of the sacrifice differs in important ways from my understanding of what Allah عز و جل says in the Quran about it. Does this variant exists in Pakistan or other countries? Possibly.

Nevertheless, the film is good in depicting a child wrestling with what she sees as an immoral action her family is committing.

Children's Books from Ruqaya's Bookshelf: Is It Time to Demand More from Muslim Children's Literature?

• Basirah the Basketballer says Insha'Allah by Hafsah Dabiri (more links)
• Zaid and the Gigantic Cloud by Helal Musleh
• The Great Hair Exchange by Asmaa Hussein (founder of Ruqaya's Bookshelf)
• Not Too Little to Make a Difference by Lela Usama Goldsmith
• Mr. Gamal's Gratitude Glasses by Asmaa Hussein
• Nusaiba and the 5th Grade Bullies by Asmaa Hussein
• Pepperoni, Pitches (and Other Problems) by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
• Spell It Like S-A-M-A-R by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

Ruqaya's Bookshelf's ordering and fulfillment process worked well. The production value in terms of binding, paper, copyediting, illustrations, colors and cover finish are good. Many of the texts use British orthography, so be prepared to help your young readers with that.

Film: "Bilal: A New Breed of Hero" by Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal

I watched Bilal: A New Breed of Hero by Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal on Peacock. It is produced by Barajoun Entertainment. Alexander Kronemer & Michael Wolfe of Unity Productions Foundation are also writers on the film.

While the movie never is explicit that it is a story based on Muslims' common understandings of events surrounding Bilal ibn Rabah رضي الله عنه, a leading companion of Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم, Muslim families familiar with these understandings will recognize elements. For example, in the duel before a battle scene, one of the participants on the side of the "New Movement" carries a sword ending in two points, as is commonly believed about `Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه.

Recommendation: "Savvy Yazzy's African Adventure: The Fulani Culture" by Boubacar Cherif Balde and Illustrated by Irina Conde

 

Savvy Yazzy's African Adventure: The Fulani Culture by Boubacar Cherif Balde and illustrated by Irina Conde is a wonderful way to introduce your young reader to travel, Guinea Conakry,  agriculture and good manners which make people pleasant hosts and guests wherever they live. The illustrations are warm and vibrant. 

Recommendation: "The Blessed Bananas" by Tayyaba Syed and Illustrated by Melani Putri

I realized how much I liked The Blessed Bananas, written by Tayyaba Syed and illustrated by Melani Putri, when I started to describe the story to an elderly relative in Arabic. When I finished my version, I realize it differed in some ways from Tayyaba's text, yet it still worked, both as an entertaining narrative and a lesson in good behavior and morals.

I had recently read Watership Down by Richard Adams. Apart from the dramatic action, the interspersed stories the rabbits told about their ancestor ElAhrairah were entertaining. I had similarly tried to convey them to my relative.

So I feel like a raconteur!

قولوا علي قصاص

So you can use the wonderful illustrations in this book to tell your toddler Tayyaba's version of the story and then your version(s) of the story. Then, when the child grows older, you can repeat the process, and you and the child will be hearing a whole new set of stories.
 

Recommendation: "In Our Own Hands: Tools for Talking Abolition and Transformative Justice with Little Ones" by Rania El Mugammar

You can talk to your kids about abolition & transformative (I made a free workbook to help you do it!)

Trust they're already getting an education in copaganda & catceral punishment.https://t.co/aeESt11HpJ pic.twitter.com/AUfE4EeMh4

— ر ت ت ت (@raniawrites) November 21, 2022

Here's the link to the page on Rania's website. Rania also uses Twitter and IG.

Recommendation: Bahram Rahman, "The Library Bus," Gabrielle Grimard (illustrator)

 

Bahram Rahman's The Library Bus is an excellent means to introduce to Muslim (and non-Muslim!) children the value of reading and the harms gender discrimination causes.

I hope this book is eventually translated into all the languages spoke in Afghanistan and nearby countries and published and distributed widely.

Family Event with Author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Mar 10, 2022

Join Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow for "Bedtime Story Night!" A virtual event for the whole family. Thu, March 10, 2022, 6 pm EST. Register here: https://augusta.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NXSFW4jH2it6bI

Are Muslims Going to Join Calls for Censorship in Public School Libraries? I Hope Not

In Columbia County, Georgia, where I live, the daily newspaper in neighboring Augusta, Georgia reported that a resident has been advocating that the Board of Education remove Drama by Raina Telgemeier from its middle school libraries and update its media policy to inform parents that "Media Centers and Teacher Libraries may provide material containing sensitive topics such as sexuality, homosexuality, and/or transgender ideology."

I have previously reported on my county's censorship of reading materials in public schools (more here). I oppose discrimination against LGBTQ people and don't believe the party line in our religion about a lot matters related to sexuality. I'm also opposed to the people who typically advocate for imposing morality. Nevertheless, before spouting off, I bought and read the book.

Most of the book is about drama programs in school, i.e. putting on plays. The characters work hard, do varied tasks and cooperation and teamwork are essential. I had for some reason disliked the drama students in high school. Reading this made me regret my prejudices and wish I'd at least given it a shot.

"Reading Challenge: Centering Muslim Characters" - A Resource Produced by Rabia Khokhar

Rabia Khokhar (Twitter) is a Teacher and Education and Equity Consultant. Check out the resource she produced entitled Reading Challenger: Centering Muslim Characters.

🚨New Resource Alert! Single stories continue 2 dehumanize Muslims. But stories can also restore dignity+heal. Reading Challenge centres Muslim characters and is a way 2 counter Anti-Muslim hate. Plz download from my website and let me know what u think! 💕https://t.co/y1EvJpRg1H pic.twitter.com/cMBdmjGBxi

— Rabia Khokhar (@Rabia_Khokhar1) June 13, 2021

I read about this from Jeremiah Rodriguez's June 21, 2021 article at CTV News.

I have not read any of the books in Rabia's list.

Alif Baa Taa: Learning My Arabic Alphabet by Asma Wahab, designed by Nadia Afghani

View this post on Instagram

Our two books side to side! Both 6 inches x 6 inches, perfect for little hands!!. . . Yes our book is not the cheapest on the market, and it’s not a large book. But, we designed every aspect of our book with little hands in mind. We wanted to keep costs as low as we can for our customers while keeping quality high. . . . We wanted our books to be able to fit in any purse, or bag so it can come with you in the go. Larger books tend to stay at home and not get read as much. In order to get familiar with the language little hands need to see it often. So next time you are headed out the door, remember to pack our books to entertain your little one!. . . . . . #muslimmom #muslimmummy #muslimbaby #arabicbooks #learnarabic #eidgifts #dubaiexpat #expatmom #arabmoms #arabkids #arabicalphabet #muslimauthors #alifbata #teachingarabic #cmwwednesday #readyforramadan2019 #muslimwomen #multilingual #islamicart #islamic_art #islamicschool #islamicparenting #mixedbabies #kidsbooks #eidshopping #babybooks #babybooksgift

A post shared by Civilian Publishing (@civilianpublishing) on Mar 16, 2019 at 12:42pm PDT

Elise Bellin, Librarian of the Islamic Resource Center, wrote a review published at Wisconsin Muslim Journal.

With clear, borderless illustrations and large, recognizable script, this board book brings the basics of the Arabic alphabet to young Western audiences. Paired with each basic letter form, Wahab has included the transliterated sound, a common Arabic word in standard script, and the word’s transliteration. A simple illustration of that word brings understanding to the audience as well. -- read more --

I haven't read the book. You can acquire it here.

Suggested Reading List from "Girls of the Crescent"

Habeeba Husain profiled Girls of the Crescent in the 2018 November/December issue of Islamic Horizons. Sisters Zena & Mena Nasiri founded Girls of the Crescent in 2018 to promote materials in public libraries which represent the variety of experiences of Muslim girls and women. On December 7, 2018, I downloaded its suggested books and searched for them in the online Georgia public library system PINES. I created a public list for the books Girls of the Crescent recommended which are available in the PINES-participating public libraries. I used worldcat.org to create a list for the books I couldn't find in Georgia's PINES. A few books are not in either list.

I hope library users in my state of Georgia would request these materials. Remember, if your branch library doesn't have a book you want, you can request the branch library to retrieve the book from other participating libraries. You can do this online with a PINES account or at the circulation desk. Also note that some public libraries don't participate in PINES, particularly those in Atlanta.

I've reviewed children's books on this blog.

Review: Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter by Mark Gonzales

Check out these adorable readers with the new @SalaamReads picture book, Yo Soy Muslim by @markgonzalesco! pic.twitter.com/AwmwPEH2bm

— SimonKIDS (@SimonKIDS) August 29, 2017

Aishah Abdul Musawwir reviewed Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter
by Mark Gonzales (illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini) in The Horn Book, September 1, 2017. The publisher is Salaam Reads/Simon.

I have not read the book.

Shabana Mir Tells Story Behind "Umar and the Bully"

From Shabana Mir's blog:

"[Twenty] years later, I assumed [Umar and the Bully] was no longer relevant. Imagine my surprise when I discovered, a few weeks ago, that Umar and the Bully is still being used and recommended for anti-bullying work in schools."

Read about the circumstances in which Professor Shabana wrote that book.

"We Need Diverse Books" Campaign

Had a great time on my local NPR station @wabenews chatting about Written in the Stars & @diversebooks! http://t.co/GrkfIZZUDa

— Aisha Saeed (@aishacs) June 27, 2015

This interview is worth listening to, and try to find the books the We Need Diverse Books campaign promotes at your bookstores and libraries!

Teacher Confronts Islamophobia with "The Garden of My Imaan" by Farhana Zia

"You mean a Muslim is coming here?!” http://t.co/OBr5Hpqvbu pic.twitter.com/gnIakR3qaf
— Teaching Tolerance (@Tolerance_org) March 19, 2015

Amy Vatne Bitliff used Farhana Zia's The Garden of My Imaan in her public middle school.

Then two days prior to Zia’s visit, one of my students who had really been pushing against the text said, “You mean a Muslim is coming here?! They chop people’s heads off. If she’s coming here, I’m not coming to school." ... read more ...

The level of fear and prejudice that fell from my student's mouths this week as we read a book about a Muslim American girl was staggering.
— Amy Vatne Bintliff (@amybintliff) October 16, 2014

As an anti-bias educator, preparing for Farhana Zia's visit has propelled students to explore anti-Muslim fear. We have all grown so much!
— Amy Vatne Bintliff (@amybintliff) October 16, 2014

Review: Snow White: An Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani

Wood Turtle reviewed Snow White: An Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani. I have not read the book, although I have reviewed others she has published.

Nadia's Ramadan - Film for Use in Public Schools

Unity Productions Foundation has produced a short film, Nadia's Ramadan, with a professionally made lesson plan, for use in public schools.

Please approach your children's public schools to see how this resource can best be utilized.


Nadia's Ramadan - Preview from Unity Productions Foundation on Vimeo.

Review: The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond

I love popular science books. I hope that many would be translated into languages Muslims often speak, particularly Arabic, since many educated Arabs only read Arabic, unlike Urdu, for example, of which I'm told its educated speakers typically can read English.

One of the authors whose books I suggested should be translated is Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse. His latest book, The World Until Yesterday: What We Can Learn from Traditional Societies?, also deserves the widest possible audience.

By comparing how modern and traditional societies handle war, raising of children, care of the elderly, health risks, religion, language and diet, The World Until Yesterday stretches our conception of the ranges of choices available to us in a matter similar to the best science fiction.

Review: "How Big is Allah?" by Emma Apple

Reem Faruqi reviewed Emma Apple's illustrated children's book "How Big is Allah?." I have not read the book.