Bashirah and the Amazing Bean Pie

This is a wonderful book by Ameenah Muhammad-Diggins about the diversity among Muslims and the beautiful traditions of the African-American Muslim Community. ⠀ ⠀ Bashirah is at school when her teacher says that they will have a culture day after Eid, and that each student should bring a dish. Each student talks about what they want to bring, and Bashirah mentions bean pie. The book shows how Bashirah prepares for Eid by getting her dress ready and welcomes her grandparents to her home for holiday prep. Bashirah heads to Eid prayer and comes back home to a delicious meal, and then starts to learn how to make bean pie from her Pop-Pop. Bashirah shares pies with her family and her neighbors, before finally taking a pie to school for culture day. It is a huge hit, and Bashirah is very pleased with her best Eid ever.⠀ ⠀ This is the perfect book for Eid, as it includes all the elements that are fun about Eid, including presents, new clothes, and family gatherings! ⠀ ⠀ I love how this book fosters a love of cooking in children, and the back of the book even includes the bean pie recipe😊 ⠀ I also love how this book show-cases the Islamic details of Bashirah’s life and shows how well they blend with her African-American culture. I think it is extremely important for our children to read about and relate to characters that have both the same and different backgrounds than them, because it teaches them tolerance.

Unfortunately, even among Muslims there is at times racism and division. Thankfully, books like this one help teach the younger generation to be more knowledgeable about each other and to realize that our similarities are stronger than our differences.

This book is inspired by the ayah in the Quran that says:⠀ “O Mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” ⠀ ⠀ May Allah help us and our kids to be among the most righteous. Ameen!⠀ ⠀ Get yours for 15 dollars.

link: https://www.amazon.com/Bashirah-Amazing-Bean-Pie-Celebration/dp/1720509026

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