Hamza Attends a Janaza by Shabana Hussein

📚 Hamza Attends a Janaza 📚

Author: Shabana Hussein

Illustrator: Atafeh Mohammadzadeh

Publisher: Kube Publishing @kubepublishing

Age: 4-8

Islamic Content: Janaza (Muslim Funeral)

Concerns: None

Summary:

Hamza's plans to visit his Nano-ji take a sudden turn when his parents receive news of the passing of a community member. They will attend the janaza prayer and it is Hamza's first time. He has questions and lots of internal dialogue which helps him process and make sense of it all.

Review:

Wow! This book will take the reader, through the eyes of a young child's point of view of the Janaza prayer he experiences. While the topic is heavy and deep, the execution of this story is gentle and soft. The voice of protagonist is so perfectly executed, Hamza's innocence comes through his child-like thought process. The fact that a community member has passed (rather than close family member, which we have seen in other books) works so well for this plot and setting so that our kids can learn to navigate through such ceremonies with compassion. Uncle Sameer was known to the community but also known to Hamza in small glimpses of their interactions. The powerful illustrations are perfect for setting the mood and tone of the story. The end of the book includes hadiths related to the topic, discussion points, glossary, duas and more. This book is a must have for every Muslim library.

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