18th November International Day of Islamic Art

UNESCO has proclaimed November 18 to be the International Day of Islamic Art. The idea for the observance was initially proposed by the Kingdom of Bahrain and adopted by UNESCO in 2019. The goal is to promote the diversity embodied in Islamic Art - art, craft, calligraphy, architecture, or music. By definition, Islamic art refers to the visual arts produced since the 7th century by people living on territories ruled by Muslim populations. The early works of Islamic art were deeply influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Sassanian, and Chinese arts. The day is a way to show appreciation for cultural diversity and to strengthen intercultural dialogue, tolerance, and peace.

There are so many picture books that introduce child readers to the Islamic way of life. They are very good at showing children similarities and differences between growing up in the Islamic faith and their faith. There are not so many that just highlight Islamic Art. I would start with these three by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Armini

• Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns 

                                

• Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets

• One Sun and Countless Stars 

Two other books by Hena Khan will also give you insights into buildings which highlight Islamic art

• Night of the Moon  illustrated by Julie Paschkis

• Behind My Doors: The Story of the World's Oldest Library  illustrated by Nabila Adani

Two books by M.O. Yuksel and Hatem Aly

• In My Mosque

• Ramadam Kareem

For more books featuring the Islamic way of life for children see this Pinterest page.

To find out more about Islamic art see here. For lots of art ideas see this blog post or video.

9th March to 8th April Ramadan

In the ninth month of the year, when the first crescent moon rises in the sky, it’s time to celebrate Ramadan!

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and it is one of the most sacred times for Muslims. Muslims are expected to refrain, which is one of the five pillars of their faith. To demonstrate this they abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset each day of this month. After the sunset prayer, Muslims gather in their homes or mosques to break their fast with a meal called ifṭār that is often shared with friends and extended family. The ifṭār usually begins with dates, as was the custom of Muhammad, or apricots and water or sweetened milk.

There are very few muslim students at the school I work at, but it is a multicultural school and lots of other festivals are celebrated and so because of this we do have books in the library that allow students to see what happens at Ramadan.

Start with 

• The Great Night Journey  by Anita Ganeri. This is a brief story in the Hopscotch series of beginning readers where Muhammed is given a message and he must go on an incredible journey through the heavens and then deliver the word of Allah to the people.

• The Great Night Journey and Other Stories  by Anita Ganeri.

• Ramadan  by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi

• Ramadan and Id-ul-Fitr by Nancy Dickmann

• Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr by Sara Khan and Nadiyah Suyatna 

• Ramadan Kareem  by M.O. Yuksel

• Sweet Dates to Eat  by Jonny Zucker

• The Month that Makes the Year by Inda Ahmad Zahri

Then stories

• Ramadan Moon by Robert B. Na'ima and Sharon Adl

• The Gift of Ramadan  by Rabiah York Lombard and Laura Horton

• Under the Ramadan Moon  by Sylvia Whitman

• The Blessed Pomegranates  by A. Helwa 

• Lailah's Lunchbox  by Reem Faruqi and Lea Lyon 

• The Very Best Doughnut  by Randa Abdel-Fattah

• The Little Green Drum  by Taghreed Najjar

• My Grandma and Me  by Mina Javaherbin and Lindsey Yankey

• Maymoona's Moon  by Razeena Omar Gutta and Zayneb Haleem

• Salat in Secret  by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Hatem Aly

• Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Armini   

• Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns  by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Armini   

• One Sun and Countless Stars  by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Armini   

For more books that are set in the Middle East and which may help in your quest for Ramadan books see this Pinterest.

13th August Walter Crane (1845 - 1915)

Walter Crane was illustrating children's books in the 1870s and along with Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway is credited with the beginning of the nursery motif and illustrated books especially for children. There is a wonderful website devoted to his life and work and it certainly highlights his commitment to his children and the importance of illustrated story.

The Muslim festival of Ramadan has begun and often children of other faiths are curious as to why Muslims fast at this time and the role of the moon in its timing. There are four books in my library that I recommend as good starting points for learning and discussions. They are:

• Ramadan by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi & Omar Rayyan

• Ramadan Moon by Na'ima B. Robert & Shirin Adl

• Sweet Dates to Eat (part of the Festival Time series) by Jonny Zucker & Jan Barger

• Muslim Child: Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems by Rukhsana Khan & Patty Gallinger.