Book Review

 السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, young Muslim children have another Islaamically appropriate book to enjoy! Anfaal's Pretty New Pencils by Wahb at-Tamimi is a cute Early Reader published by DreamForward Books. The illustrations in this book do a wonderful job of supporting the text, which helps young readers decode new or unfamiliar words, and the struggle Anfaal has is one that many young children can relate to. What I liked most about Anfaal's Pretty New Pencils is that the story provides children with the Islaamically appropriate solution to the problem without the solution feeling like a school lesson.

From the publisher's website: Anfaal has a pack of pretty new pencils. She loves her pretty new pencils and can’t wait to take them to school. When Anfaal takes her pretty new pencils to school, her friends like them and want to use them, but Anfaal doesn’t want to share. When Anfaal won’t share, one of her friends stops speaking to her and will not play with her. Will Anfaal and her friend make up or will Anfaal lose a friend because of her pretty new pencils?

 

Alhamdulillaah, a wonderful new book to add to your home or classroom library inshaa'Allaah!

 

Disclaimer: The publisher, DreamForward Books, provided me with a copy of this book and, at my request, the image of the book, but did not request I review it, nor did I receive compensation (payment of any type) for my review. DreamForward Books also recently published some of my books but my review was not done in exchange for their publishing my books.

A New Favourite Book

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I know, it's been a loong time since a post has appeared on A Muslim Child is Born. A good book, however, is always guaranteed to remedy that! A teacher, may Allaah reward her, recently told me about a book, and this book has become a new favourite. Stick and Stone is a story that teaches children how to make friends and it teaches how to be a good friend.

Stick and Stone's friendship forms when Stone is being bullied by Pinecone and Stick steps in to help. From this incident, Stick and Stone become pals. Soon after their friendship blossoms, Stick finds himself in trouble and Stone is more than willing to help, but unsure if he can.

The book, suitable for children ages 3-6, can be used at the beginning of the year to help build classroom communities, but the book can also be used at any time during the year to help children understand how friends treat friends and how friends help each other.

Stick and Stone is a delightful book that children may enjoy hearing read aloud again and again, so head to the library and check the shelf for Stick and Stone, and if you find it, check it out inshaa' Allaah!

[Book Recommendation] The Kids Guides to Exploring Nature

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

 
Alhamdulillaah, spring is upon us and the children are itching to get back outside again. (Spring also means that the academic load begins to lighten as we prepare for the upcoming summer break in shaa' Allaah, so posting should become more regular again biithnillaah. I've missed it!!) And, now that the weather is less severe, science can be done outdoors! This book, The Kid's Guide to Exploring Nature  can help plan and carry out science lessons, and it's gorgeous. The illustrations will interest children immediately and the activities are easy and fun to complete. The book also has a wonderful amount of scientific information to help children learn about the natural world in a fun, accessible way. The language is grade-level appropriate and engaging, and teachers and parent-teachers will find that lessons can be easily planned using the activities provided. The glossary in the back may also prove to be an invaluable tool for teachers - you can anticipate which terms/phrases may need further explanation and use the definitions provided in the glossary.

The book is arranged by season and each season opens with questions that ask children to observe and note what changes mark the beginning of each season. Children are then treated to a visual feast as they explore ponds, forests, and cityscapes, learning about how animals and plants survive and thrive, by the Mercy and Permission of Allaah. Children also "meet" different professionals who work with plants and animals. These pages provide children with an overview of a particular job and they tell children how these jobs help protect various plants and animals.

This book is highly recommended because teachers/parent-teachers can purchase it to help plan lessons or it can be a beneficial addition to your home/school/homeschool library. 


*Important Note; As with most books about the natural world, there are some things that you will not want to allow children to read independently. For instance, there is a paragraph about ferns and how people used to think ferns had magic seeds, astagfirullah. You will need to read the sections prior to giving the book to a child to read alone, so you can amend parts as needed.**

Have you read or used this book? What parts did your children enjoy most/least? Share with us!

A Counting Book Kids May Love

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten children may enjoy this delightful book, The Big Storm , as they learn how to count from 1 to 10. 

In the forest, a big storm is on the way. The animals seek shelter in a hill hollow and as they do so children learn how to count from one to ten (they also learn how to count backward from ten to one). The illustrations are excellent because they help young children see how adding one more to a number increases the number by one, and the arrangement of the animals on each page allows children to easily see and grasp the concept of addition. Another wonderful feature of this book is the opportunity to increase young children's vocabulary; the book is full of words that will likely be new to young listeners. You can also use this book when teaching weather, seasons, animals, and habitats!

This is a book you may wish to purchase for your clsasroom or home library in shaa' Allaah. Of course, the next time you visit your local library, check the shelf and if you find The Big Storm, check it out! 

Enjoy & Benefit In shaa' Allaah! 

Back to School: A Book for the First Day and Beyond...

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Back to school planning is still in full swing, and here is a book that you might want to consider reading on the first day of school.  

If You Plant a Seed, which has such lush, colourful illustrations (sans the facial features, of course), will capture students' attention because the prose are sparse but full of meaning. And alhamdulillaah, the point of this story is one which young children can easily grasp, relate to, and apply in shaa' Allaah. 

As you spend the first week of school establishing your learning community's rules and expectations, and you begin setting the tone for how learning will occur in your classroom, this book can help. Here are a few suggestions:

Before Reading the Book:

- Read the title of the book and show the cover of the book to students. Ask students what they think the book will be about. After students have given their responses, tell students that you (all) will read to see if the ideas proposed are correct.

During reading: 

• On the page where Bunny, Mouse, and the Birds are all staring at one another, pause and ask students what they think is happening on this page (there is no text on this page). 
• Ask students what they think will happen next.
• Keep reading. 
• Pause again on the page where Bunny, Mouse, and the Birds are screaming at one another. Ask the students why they think the animals are arguing. 
• Keep reading.  
• Pause again on the page where Bunny, Mouse, and the Birds are fighting. Ask students what is wrong with this scene? Guide students (if no one gives this answer) to understand that wasting food is not permissible in Islaam. Also, point out the behavior of Bunny and Mouse. Each is sticking out their tongue at the birds. Briefly discuss with children why this behaviour is unacceptable. Remind students of what Allaah says in the Quran: "Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) you have a good example to follow" {Al-Ahzab:21}, and mention the excellent manners of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). 
• Keep reading until the end of the story.

After Reading:

• Ask children why Bunny and Mouse's final choice was good. Read the following hadith: On the authority of Anas bin Malik, the servant of the messenger of Allaah, that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said : "None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself" {Bukhari and Muslim}. Remind students that they are all brothers and sisters in Islaam and they must share the resources in the classroom.
• Invite two children to model Islaamically appropriate examples how we share and assist one another and then invite two different children to model behaviour that is not appropriate. Discuss why these two students' behaviour was not Islaamically appropriate, then have those same two students (who modeled incorrect behaviour) model Islaamically correct behaviour. 
• During the week (and as often as is necessary during the year), re-read If You Plant a Seed and invite children to model how we share with one another.  

 

Benefit & Enjoy In shaa' Allaah!

Two Books for Back To School (PreK - Kindergarten)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Have you begun preparing your class/home school classroom library for back to school? If so, (or when you do), consider adding these two books:




Both are lift the flap books and both offer young children the opportunity to reinforce skills and concepts learned during the school year. As you have probably deduced, Animal 123 is a counting book while Animal Spots and Stripes is a book that helps children identify and differentiate between spots and stripes (i.e. patterns).

About the books, Amazon.com says, "With a bold palette, striking graphics, and a bouncing menagerie of animals, this pair of uniquely formatted lift-the-flap books introduces young readers to the basic concepts of counting and patterns. Each is a boisterous, vivid trek of discovery, providing irresistible clues which encourage lifting the flap—a hands-on, educator-approved strategy of uncovering and learning concepts. Whether it's finding out just who's next in Animal 123, or exploring differently patterned creatures hiding in the habitats of Animal Spots and Stripes, these ultra-sturdy books provide not just an intriguing way to communicate essential building blocks of learning, but also offer an energetic playground of sheer delight.

On your next trip to the library, take a peek inside  Animal 123 and Animal Spots and Stripes. You might like what you see.

Back to School: Books to consider for your bookshelf

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Although school has been in session for a few weeks now alhamdulillaah, you may still be in the process of selecting new books for this school year. If so, you may want to consider the following books:

From right to left:

1). South by Patrick McDonnell

From Amazon.com "When a little bird awakens to find that all of his friends and family have gone south for the winter, it takes a surprising friendship with Mooch the cat to help him find his way. This is a wordless and moving story that explores being lost and found, crossing boundaries, saying goodbye, and broadening horizons."

2). Time to Say Bye-Bye by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

This story explores a toddler's busy day. When the little boy's mother tells him it's time to leave each activity/place, he does not want to go but he soon discovers that having to stop one activity does not mean that more fun and adventure is not close at hand. The story also shows how bedtime is (necessary) fun too! **As you read the story, replace bye-bye with Assalamu aliakum"**

3). Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff

This book can be used when teaching your colours unit this year! From Amazon.com: "Baby Bear has so much to learn about the world! From the moment he wakes until it’s time to curl up and go to sleep, he explores outside with his mama. They see green leaves, blue jays, brown trout, and—best of all—a patch of yummy red strawberries. [This is a ] concept book that combines engaging and intricate linocut illustrations with a story that enthusiastically encourages children to identify a variety of vibrant colours. Young readers will delight in this chance to join Baby Bear as he discovers the colourful wonders of his lively, leafy forest home." 

4). Missing Mittens Stuart J. Murphy

For kindergarten and grade 1, this book can be used to help children understand the concept of odd and even. From Amazon.com: "Every animal on Farmer Bill's farm is missing one mitten. Readers can investigate odd and even numbers as they unravel this mitten mystery!" 

5). What's Up, What's Down?

This is an interesting and fun book that invites the reader to see the world from different perspectives - namely that of many different animals. When teaching direction words (i.e. up, down, under, over, etc.), this book can be used for storytime to help children understand and further explore the concept. 

6). Little Snow Goose by Emily Hawkins

While a little fox is romping and playing he stumbles across a goose. Intending to play a joke, he sneaks up on it and scares it and the goose flies off, leaving her egg behind. The fox, realizing that he has made a mistake, feels bad and then discovers the egg. Determined to correct his mistake, he decides that he will take care of the egg (and eventually the baby goose) since he was the reason its mother was not there to care for it. When the egg hatches, the two animals form a friendship and the fox helps the baby goose find its flock. With embossed illustrations, this is a nice story for the beginning of the year as you are teaching children manners and classroom routines. 

7). Time for a Hug by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green
When you start your unit on telling time this year, this book can be used as you're teaching telling time to the hour. And, it's just nice for toddlers because the story is sweet. From Amazon.com: "From the moment Little Bunny wakes up in the morning until the moon comes out and the stars shine, every hour includes a warm hug from Big Bunny. Whether they bake or build, bike or hike, a caring hug always feels just right. This is a book that is generous with love, and full of sweet illustrations."