In My Mosque
Yuksel, M. O. In My Mosque. Illus. by Hatem Aly. 2021. 40p. Harpercollins/Harper, $17.99 (9780062978707). Pre-S-Gr 3.
What is a mosque? What does it looks like inside and what do people do there? This beautiful book transports readers on a magical journey inside famous mosques around the world, various Islamic practices, diverse communities, and cultural elements they encompass. Evoking feelings of immense joy and peace, this book is an open and warm invitation to readers and the world to come in and explore this important space and the religion that is practiced by 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide.
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
undings the way a child would notice them. For instance, before entering the mosque worshippers first remove their shoes, which are described is being lined up “like colorful beads” while the opposite page describes the sensation of wiggling and sinking his toes into “the silky-soft carpet.”, Children share other observations and sensations, and readers are immersed into their feelings of gentle comfort in listening to the recitations and the clicking sound of tasbih (prayer beads), the cooing of pigeons outside the mosque, the warm hugs of loving family members, and the smells of delicious food.
Children are depicted in poses of relaxation, glancing out the window, distracted in prayers, shushing each other when they are not supposed to be talking, and running and playing in the spaces. Adults are shown as gentle and patient, and the mosque is presented as a place where children learn religious culture and heritage and grow up feeling safe and loved by their community.
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.
Readers see that the mosque is not only a place of worship, but a place of community and one where the community also builds itself and contributes to larger community needs. Commonality with other faiths is also emphasized. It is a gathering place for people to find each other, refresh their faith and listen to uplifting sermons, “in my mosque, we pray for peace, love, and joy…just like my friends who worship in churches, temples, and synagogues.”
The illustrations are diverse with worshippers reflecting different countries and set against the backdrop of architecture and geometric mosaic patterns specific to each region. Arabic style calligraphy is incorporated throughout the book. The book mentioned that Aly’s breathtaking illustrations were created by using digital rendering and scans of ink washes, textures, and patterns
While the book’s backmatter includes a note about mosques, a glossary, and author’s note, and a selection of mosques around the world, it does not specify which mosque is which in the book itself, though readers with background knowledge will be able to identify many of them. However, this information is available on the author’s website and includes an annotation with other information about each specific mosque (including the Diyanet Center in Lanham, Maryland), and also includes discussion questions and activitie
s for families and educators.
An awe-inspiring book that shows parallels between different religious places of worship, and highlights both universality of faiths and uniqueness of Islam and its places of worship.
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
Review: Malala Yousafzai (Little People, Big Dreams)
Malala’s shooting is worded simply, honestly, and not glossed over for young readers. Adults may choose to guide discussions on gun violence and the suppression of women, civil rights, and certain activities banned by the Taliban. As Malala meets people from across the globe, these characters are represented in one spread by differences in skin tone and clothing to show a diversity in race and culture. One character has a bindi, one is wearing a kente-like print shirt and kufi, one is wearing athawb/kandura/dishdasha, and a ghutra head covering.
Illustrations seem to be taken from actual media photographs of Malala and her family, but do not always match the text. In one spread text reads that Malala is shot and badly injured and wakes up in the hospital, but the illustrations choose to show a later time without any signs of injury.
One inaccuracy occurs in the spread showing a classroom, where the blackboard has a sentence written in Urdu (one of the languages spoken in Pakistan). The English translation reads “stop [being] scared of the people” but the Urdu word for “scared” is spelled incorrectly. Still, this inclusion, albeit with spelling errors, is an opportunity to teach that language script is multidirectional, with Urdu and 
