Be Sure to Pray, Zain! by Humera Malik
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
Title: Be sure to Pray, Zain!
Author: Humera Malik @booksforlittlemuslims
Publisher: Green Key Press @greenkeypress
Age: 6-9
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Islamic Content: Establishing/Virtues of Prayer
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Concerns: None
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Summary:
Zain's week begins in a good note, without missing prayer and acing a class test. As the days progress he is distracted with various daily things that he misses his prayers thus the mishaps follow as well. On his way to his friend's house, his favorite snack fell from his backpack. When they played soccer at the park, Zain lost his temper at the soccer game and kicked his friend hurting his leg badly. Finally, he got caught copying his peer for the math quiz because he neglected to study.
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Review:
This is an early reader book that is separated into days of the week instead of short chapters. It is narrated from Zain's voice directly and is kept authentically related to his age. I think the execution of the story is quite clever as it keeps the reader engaged until the end of the book. In here, the main benefit of establishing the prayer in a consistent manner is discussed. And it does that without getting preachy. I love that the parents play a role in helping Zain discover and pinpoint that when he missed his prayers his days took a sideways turn. However, their guidance is gentle and never turns into a nag. The analogy that was used to ensure that Zain understands the value of prayer and how it can affect our daily life is so brilliant and easy for the young readers to grasp. There were just enough illustrations scattered throughout the book so the readers can visualize the along with the scenes on the story. This is a great book to have that highlights one of the virtues of consistent daily prayer without getting overwhelming with Islamic references. There is an ayah from the Qur'an that is a preface to the story. As much as we need those reference books, we equally need stories like this as creative motivators for our young Muslims minds and hearts.
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