Everyone is invited to experience Ramadan and to understand what it means to those that engage in the spiritual practice.
This month will be different for Deenie. Breakfast will be eaten before the sun rises and then food will not be eaten again until the sun sets. Whilst her tummy will grumble, her mind and spirit will grow stronger. Communities will come together, people will reach out to those in need and everyone will find time to reflect. Fasting during Ramadan will not be easy but it will be richly rewarding and soon it will be time to mark the end with an extra special celebration and to say ‘Eid Mubarak’…
I am a big believer that children should learn about, appreciate and embrace other cultures and practices, to do this a book such as The Month that Makes the Year is essential. This gentle and illuminating exploration of Ramadan is perfect for sharing with young children in the run-up to the fasting period that begins this year on March 22nd and runs through until April 20th with the Eid al-Fitr celebrations expected to be on April 21st.
Told through the eyes of a young child, this is a joyful, diverse and inclusive celebration of a month long experience that is about much more than just fasting. It is about learning to become a better person, to be kinder, to be more understanding, to be reflective. The lessons and messages that Ramadan teaches - patience, gratitude, self-control, mindfulness, a sense of solidarity, perseverance, not giving in to temptation and sharing - hold universal appeal and can benefit all of us.
Children need to be seen in books and this is a fabulous opportunity for those that engage in the spiritual practice of Ramadan to see themselves represented. For others, it is a chance to listen to or read a story that tells them about what it is like in the shoes of a child who experiences Ramadan and to believe what it is like even when it doesn’t match their own experiences. I am particularly impressed with the representation of characters; Ramadan is celebrated by many different individuals and families and they are all shown here.
Heart-warming illustrations of family and communities coming together accompanied with simple and informative text and a brilliant author’s note make this a must have for the classroom library. Recommended for 4+. With huge thanks to Allen & Unwin for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
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