Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Girl's kindness shines in gorgeous Ramadan tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Young Zahra loses her precious teddy bear while her family is getting donations ready for a shelter in ZAHRA'S BLESSING: A RAMADAN STORY. During the month of daytime fasting and evening gatherings, she's still sad about her teddy bear but her perspective changes as she becomes friends with one of the girls in the refugee shelter where her family is volunteering. By the end of Ramadan Zahra gets a blessing that surprises her.
Is It Any Good?
In a book not to be missed, author Shirin Shamsi weaves a loving family's story celebrating Ramadan around Manal Mirza's beautiful, brightly colored images, exuding warmth and sharing information. Zahra's Blessing: A Ramadan Story has a lovely way of using a lost teddy bear to explore traditions, generosity, and community along with lots of facts about this monthlong Muslim holiday. The short explanations of fasting and Eid-al-Fitr are great, and the notes about displacement, shelters, and foster care use straightforward, compassionate language to help young readers understand these complex situations.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the fasting and celebrating Ramadan in their own lives might be different from what Zahra did in Zahra's Blessing: A Ramadan Story. Does your family celebrate Ramadan? If so, what do you do? If you don't, what do you think your family would do to celebrate?
What actions can you take in your community that are similar to the generosity and inclusion shown by Zahra's family?
How do you think Zahra would explain Ramadan to kids at her school who don't know what it is? How would you explain it?
Book Details
- Author: Shirin Shamsi
- Illustrator: Manal Mirza
- Genre: Holiday
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models , Holidays
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Barefoot Books
- Publication date: March 29, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Paperback, Hardback
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: April 8, 2022
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