Like the Moon Loves the Sky

Islamic note: there is a picture of a little girl in a bathing suit on one of the pages. While there’s no Hijab rulings for young children, I feel that many Muslims would feel uncomfortable with their kids wearing these bathing suits (there are modest short/skirt suits many use).⠀

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I just feel like this picture is kind of naïve in a children’s book meant for Muslims. If you are trying to serve Muslims with diverse books that they can relate to, it should reflect what most Muslims identify with. I feel like our children see enough books out there that they don’t relate to and so I am confused at why this book is so showing something many Muslims would probably be uncomfortable with. I feel like there are many pictures that could’ve been illustrated instead of this one for the verse provided.⠀

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Another note was the way they spelled insha Allah. First off I know that it is a word that is translated from Arabic, and in Arabic it is actually three words-not one word together. But that wasn’t the main part that bothered me: it was that the A of Allah was not capitalized-something that to me made me uncomfortable the whole time reading it and I am sure many would be like me.⠀

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The book itself is clearly written with sweet intentions. It is basically a mothers wishes for her child for success and the pictures are cute. I did feel like it was a little too simple, with no real storyline or emotional connection for kids.

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The claim on the inside of the book is that these verses and pictures are inspired by the Quran. While I did see some verses that did remind me of certain verses in the Quran, such as staying strong like “a tree with firm roots”; In general, I was disappointed. If you claim that a book reflects verses of the Quran, then you should at least put the effort to make sure that it is vetted by a scholar-because the Quran is the word of Allah, and a very serious topic for Muslims!⠀

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I looked forward to this book and I am sad that it did not deliver. ⠀

I do hope that traditional publishers, as well as authors, be aware of these issues.⠀

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That’s my humble and honest opinion; And of course, each parent decides what they like!

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