Hannah and the Ramadan Gift
by Qasim Rashid (text), illus. by Aaliya Jaleel.
Penguin Random House/Viking Books for Young Readers. Apr. 2021. 40p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780593114667
Gr 1-5- At eight years old, Hannah’s family says she is too young to fast from dawn to sunset through the month of Ramadan, but Dada Jaan has an idea of how Hannah can help. He says that Ramadan is a reminder to Muslims to help those in need and helping neighbors is worth the world. In her independent actions in school and at home, the girl finds that helping is more difficult than it seems. At the end of Ramadan, celebrating with her religious and ethnically diverse community, Hannah wonders what, if any, impact her actions have made and whether it is enough. Human rights activist, attorney, and former candidate for Virginia State Senate Rashid’s narrative shows the positive and local action children can take and the wisdom and kindness gained through learning from elders. 
Jaleel’s palette of saturated pinks, purples, yellows, and aqua conveys the passage of time through the month while tying in common Islamic geometric patterns and decor. Language and visual markers indicate Hannah and her family are South Asian and an author’s note describes Eid with family and community in Pakistan and in the United States. Though this narrative is accessible to all Muslims and non-Muslim readers, it particularly reflects Rashid’s Ahmadiyya Muslim values in service to humanity, peace, and love of mankind.
VERDICT A Ramadan narrative that inspires action and reflection for all readers. Purchase for all collections.
-Ariana Sani Hussain, The Blake Sch., Wayzata, MN
Gorgeous endpapers feature birds, patterned in colorful geometric-shapes set against a black background. Each spread pairs elements of Islamic practice and worship in famous mosques. Colors are vibrant and celebratory of everyday scenes captured from the joyful perspective of Muslim children. Paired with simple lyrical text that describes the people, practices, activities, and surro
Children are also active participants in their community, showing small acts of kindness, such as helping elderly or disabled 
worshippers, or passing out prayer beads, mats, and collecting and distributing food. One child is also seen in active prayer, finishing salat by saying “peace and blessings be upon you/As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh” (in Arabic). The text in this particular spread reads, “In my mosque we end our prayers by greeting the angels on our shoulders who watch over us day and night. My angels cheer me on as I whisper heartfelt wishes and hope they all come true.” Though the wording of duas solely as wishes does not quite encompass the entirety of the meaning, framed in the context of a child’s understanding, it is sufficient.
Nima and her family’s Muslim and Sudanese background is hinted at throughout the novel, and there is Arabic script used in the text. Dialogue and commentary from other characters are in italics and ampersands are used in place of the word “and.” Set against the backdrop of 9/11, Nima and her small community’s religion, brown skin, and assumed foreignness, make them a target of Islamophobia. Nima notices how this heightened awareness of growing hostilities push her mother to change the manner in which she observes hijab as a way of avoiding violence and discrimination. Her childhood friend, also a Sudanese American Muslim, is brutally attacked. In these moments, so natural to the story, readers are given a contextual and historic representation of what it was like to be visibly Muslim at that time. These two points of friction–Nima’s internal struggle and the outside discrimination, flow in tandem with each other, and at times, overlap as points of conflict. They also play into the possibilities and feelings of loss in the could-have-beens often felt by those removed from their heritage countries, and for Nima’s place and time. 
This review was originally published in 
Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures
This gentle and heart-warming story explores an intergenerational friendship and the power of words. Khalil moves to the upper floor of a house with his loud and busy family, while Mr. Hagerty, an older white man, lives on the floor below. During the summer, Khalil and Mr. Hagerty spend time in the backyard – Khalil searching for bugs, rocks, and other treasures while Mr. Hagerty works in his garden. They bond, as Mr. Hagerty helps Khalil read his library books and Khalil helps him remember the names of things he’s forgotten i.e. what his “digging thing, [his] hole-maker” is called. One day, when things don’t go as planned, they take a break over “chocolate cake and tall, cold glasses of milk.” That night, over their respective dinners, they each come up with an idea to brighten the others’ day. The clever and sweet ending is a perfect way to portray a growing friendship and sharing the simple pleasures of life.
Taherian’s playful collage-style illustrations portray the juxtaposition of the two households. For example, in one spread Khalil and family can be seen through the upper window; their curtains with bright and bold patterns, texture, and colors conveying their liveliness, whereas in the lower window Mr. Hagerty sits alone, reading—his curtains simple and monochrome. Springstubb’s simple text pairs well with Taherian’s illustrations, both working to highlight the purity and simplicity of the relationship.
While Khalil and his family are not identified as Muslims and there is no reference in the text or visuals to Islam, the name Khalil, meaning “friend” in Arabic is a possible indication that the family is Muslim. In this 
K-Gr 2–Amira feels conflicted when she realizes that school picture day is the same day as Eid. Spotting the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan, Amira and her brother Ziyad know it means that there will be prayers, celebrations, and skipping school the following day. Amira’s mom decorates the girl’s hands with mehndi. Amira and Ziyad prepare goody bags for the kids at the masjid, while her mother irons Amira’s Eid outfit, a beautiful blue and gold mirrored shalwar kameez. 
Though Eid is full of the joy and community she loves, missing picture day puts a damper on the celebration, until Amira thinks of a possible solution. Deceptively simple, Faruqi’s narrative gently addresses the impact that the celebration of non-dominant cultures and holidays has on children and choices families make to uphold traditions. Moreover, Amira’s conflicted feelings and insistence on finding a solution create opportunities for dialogue about the importance of acknowledging spaces that matter to children, especially while families try to foster positive identity. Azim’s illustrations are fun and colorful, with tiny details reflecting the family’s personality, while the people attending Eid celebrations at Amira’s masjid are racially and culturally diverse, with varied skin tones, body types, and expressions of fashion and style.
Back matter features an author’s note and glossary of terms, referencing Urdu and Amira and her family’s Pakistani roots.
Muslims in Story: Expanding Multicultural Understanding Through Children’s and Young Adult Literature