a party ramadan book

A Party in Ramadan
Spring 2009 Picture Books
Ages: 7 - 9 yrs.
Author: Asma Mobin-Uddin
Illustrator: Laura Jacobsen
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
ISBN: 978-1-59078-604-8
Hardcover Price: $16.95
Review:
Leena is conflicted. She wants to attend her friend Julia's birthday party but she also wants to fast with her family. Julia’s party is the first Friday of Ramadan, the month when Muslims neither eat nor drink from sunup to sundown. Leena wants to participate in the fast like the adult members of her family, but she also wants to ride the pony at Julia's party.

In this appealing story, young readers can identify with Leena's dilemma, as they learn something about the Muslim faith. The warm pastel pencil illustrations bring Leena and her loving family to life. An interesting pictorial subtext that runs throughout the book; Jacobsen’s depiction of a neighborhood of similar modest homes delivers an unspoken implication of common humanity.