Books to Read with your Kids this Ramadan
Making sure your little ones feel involved and engaged all 30 days of Ramadan is a hard task. I find that books are a great tool for doing just that.
My five year old is just starting to read, and there’s a book or two in here I’d love to have him try to read independently, with my guidance of course. But he also loves to sit down for story time with Mama. Here are some books that work well for Pre-K/KG, but older kids can enjoy as well!
Prophet Suleiman and the Queen Ant by Hira Rizvi
This book is interactive and tells the story of Prophet Suleiman through images and reusable vinyl stickers. Pretty fun, actually. The font is large and the images are fun and memorable since the kids get to put the stickers on to complete the story!
It tells the overarching story in a simple way for a 4-5 year old to grasp.
My First Quran Activity Book by Hira Rizvi
This book tells the story of the Prophets with a question on each page which prompts kids to lift the flaps that correspond. Each page tells the story in two sentences and is a great introduction to the Prophets!
I Love Ramadan / انا احب رمضان by Taymaa Salhah
This book is written in both English and Arabic. I like these kinds of books because they remind me to use Arabic with my kids! Throughout this book, we follow a little boy excited about Ramadan beginning the following day and introducing the special things about Ramadan, like how the Quran was revealed during Ramadan, and how a day in Ramadan is spent.
And of course, the excitement for Eid-al-Fitr at the end. It’s a very simple, straight to the point book, that has all the right details.
Ilyas + Duck and the Fantastic Festival of Eid-al-Fitr by Omar S. Khawaja
In this book, Ilyas sights the moon at the end of the month, and tells Duck its Eid! Duck runs out to get decorations and each time he brings back the wrong holiday’s decor. I don’t think Duck knows about Days of Eid. Ilyas comes up with a great idea to take Duck to the Masjid to teach him how we celebrate Eid.
The Most Powerful Night: A Ramadan Story by Ndaa Hassan
I wish I had this book growing up. It details Laylatul-Qadr, how powerful it is to make Dua’a, and how the Quran was revealed on this night. Laila has so many questions about The Most Powerful Night and her mom explains it to her so eloquently. This is a beautiful introduction to the importance of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Ilyas + Duck / Ramadan Joy by Omar S. Khawaja
This is the first Ramadan book I’ve read for kids that specifically describes why we fast in a brief and fun way for kids to understand. Remember, it’s not just to empathize with the poor. The book is engaging, has some rhyming, and who doesn’t love a talking duck that keeps Ilyas on the righteous path? There’s also a “Mister Mean” depicted who tries to encourage negativity in Ramadan! But, no worries, Ilyas and Duck run him away with good deeds!
It’s Ramadan, Curious George by Hena Khan
If you don’t already have this book, definitely get it. One of my favorites to read, even as an adult. Mostly because I love George and his silly antics. This book shows George and Kareem preparing for Ramadan. George helps Kareem get through the day of fasting through distractions, and displays some awesome sharing and volunteering.
George accidentally tries to give out peoples’ shoes at the mosque as a gift, and the Imam is like, you know what, we should have a clothes drive. Definitely a relatable book, except I don’t have an endearing monkey friend.
Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
Oh man, this book made me emotional. It’s about a girl who moved to the States from Abu Dhabi and was fasting for the first time while attending public school. She didn’t have any Muslim friends and would be the only one fasting. Worried that her teacher and classmates wouldn’t understand what Ramadan was, she was too shy to give the note her mom wrote for her to explain why she would not be bringing lunch to school this month. Finally Laila reached out to the librarian who reassured her and looped her teacher in.
The message of support and kindness as well as longing for acceptance, is all too real in the modern world of Muslims who have to constantly explain who they are. Beautifully written!
Ramadan Around the World by Ndaa Hassan
This book is bursting at the seams with inclusivity. On each page, we travel to a different corner of the world where families show the types of food they break their fasts with. It’s colorful and very fun to read, but I don’t recommend reading until after you’ve broken your fast. The cartoon food looks delicious.
Isa’a First Fast: A Book of Choices by Hira Rizvi
We know our kids love to make their own choices, and this book puts a lot of choosing power in their hands. Throughout the story, the reader decides what path Isa’a should take and that directs them to flip to the corresponding pages. This impacts the outcome of the story entirely!
I enjoyed reading this and I’m sure it would be a great read for kids who are just about to start fasting themselves.
There are so many other books out there that I’m sure we overlooked. Let us know which books we should include next year! Also check out our blogpost about board books for your younger readers. May these books fill your children with wonder and excitement in the blessed month of Ramadan.