Tag: Aaliya Jaleel

EidTale (An Abrams Trail Tale): An Eid al-Fitr Adventure by Aaliya Jaleel

EidTale (An Abrams Trail Tale): An Eid al-Fitr Adventure
by Aaliya Jaleel
Abrams Appleseed/ABRAMS

Gifts and gatherings, feasts and fireworks—welcome to an Eid al-Fitr board book adventure with pages to peek through and gatefolds to open!

The Abrams Trail Tale series takes readers on unforgettable holiday-themed adventures. EidTale, written and illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel, follows a brother and sister as they make their way through their neighborhood delivering gifts to uncles sipping cha’i, favorite neighbors, and friends before they meet up with their family for prayer and a big, celebratory dinner.

Young readers will delight in the clever die-cut surprises throughout and the dramatic quadruple gatefold at the end that reveals a special, festive Eid celebration.

Cover image and summary via Edelweiss

The Masjid Kamal Loves by Ashley Franklin, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

The Masjid Kamal Loves
by Ashley Franklin, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
Simon & Schuster/Salaam Reads

From the author of Not Quite Snow White comes a story about a young Muslim boy celebrating the many reasons he loves going to his local masjid in this jubilant and playful picture book perfect for fans of Mommy’s Khimar and Abdul’s Story.

Friday is Kamal’s favorite day of the week because he gets to go to the masjid for Jumu’ah prayer. The masjid is where he can be with his friends, hear the teachings of the imam, and pray with the community that he loves so dearly. He just can’t help the bounce in his step, the smile on his face, or the joy bubbling up in his chest every time Friday rolls around!

Inspired by the famous nursery rhyme “This Is the House That Jack Built,” each spread in this buoyant picture book builds on the rhythmic list of things Kamal loves about the masjid.

Cover image and summary via Edelweiss

This is Why We Pray: Islamic Book for Kids: A Story About Islam, Salah, and Dua by Ameenah Muhammad-Diggins

719KqhIU+AL.jpgThis is Why We Pray: Islamic Book for Kids: A Story About Islam, Salah, and Dua
by Ameenah Muhammad-Diggins, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
Callisto Media/Rockridge Press

Build a bond with Allah through this top choice in Islamic books for kids ages 5 to 7

Join Aliya and Amar as their Mama and Papa tell them all about the Five Pillars―especially salah. One of the most engaging Islamic books for kids, this book helps you learn what it means to pray, discover how it helps you grow closer to Allah, and hear awesome stories from the Quran that teach even more about the importance of salah.

This standout among Islamic books for kids features:

  • Salah and dua explained―Find out what salah and dua are, why they matter so much, and how talking to Allah can help you.

  • Playful learning―Grab your family and keep the learning going with fun activities you can do together.

  • Engaging pictures―Follow along with colorful illustrations that take you through the story and teach you how to perform wudu and salah.

Go beyond other Islamic books for kids with this fun and educational exploration of salah and more.

Cover and summary via illustrator website

Posted in Books, Reviews

Review: Hannah and the Ramadan Gift

Posted on by Ariana Hussain

Hannah and the Ramadan Gift by Qasim RashidThis review was originally published in School Library Journal, March 1, 2021. Additional images have been added to this post.

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

Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani By Megan Reid

Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani
by Megan Reid
Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray

As a little girl, Maryam Mirzakhani was spellbound by stories. She loved reading in Tehran’s crowded bookstores, and at home she’d spend hours crafting her own tales on giant rolls of paper. Maryam loved school, especially her classes in reading and writing. But she did not like math. Numbers were nowhere near as interesting as the bold, adventurous characters she found in books. Until Maryam unexpectedly discovered a new genre of storytelling: In geometry, numbers became shapes, each with its own fascinating personality—making every equation a brilliant story waiting to be told. As an adult, Maryam became a professor, inventing new formulas to solve some of math’s most complicated puzzles. And she made history by becoming the first woman—and the first Iranian—to win the Fields Medal, mathematics’ highest award. Maryam’s Magic is the true story of a girl whose creativity and love of stories helped her—and the world—to see math in a new and inspiring way.

Cover image and summary via HarperCollins

Hannah and the Ramadan Gift by Qasim Rashid

Hannah and the Ramadan Gift by Qasim RashidHannah and the Ramadan Gift by Qasim Rashid
Ilustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
Penguin Random House/Viking

The debut picture book by author and human rights activist Qasim Rashid that celebrates good deeds during the month of Ramadan.

It’s the first day of Ramadan and Hannah wants to be a part of this important month every way she can. But if she’s too young to fast, how can she observe Ramadan? By saving the world, Dada Jaan tells her. And so Hannah learns that by helping her friends and neighbors and by showing kindness and generosity, she can make the world a better place.

The debut picture book by human rights activist and attorney Qasim Rashid tells a timely story full of warmth and heart about the observance of Ramadan and the power of good deeds.

Cover image and summary via Penguin Random House