Talaal and the Whispering Worrier by Shareeza Boodhoo

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

Title: Talaal and the Whispering Worrier

Author: Shereeza Boodhoo

Illustrator: Khalif Koleoso

Publisher: Self-Published @talaalswhisperingworrier

Age: 5-11

Rating: 8/10 🌟

Summary:

Talaal comes back from school stating that he feels sick and doesn't want to go back until he is better. He goes on to explain to his sister that in class, when he was asked to share, he had heard discouraging voices, feeling busy butterflies in his tummy, sweating and jitters on his hands. His sister ensures him that everyone has the Whispering Worrier from time to time and advises him to recite the Qur'an to help him relax and be calm along with reinforcing positive messages.

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Lessons:

This is a book that tackles uneasy feelings, particularly situational nervousness and anxiety. It uses clear words and phrases to describe those feelings and emotions so the child gets a better understanding. The book is written in rhyme which is mostly good, but at times I found myself repeating the verses to change the flow. When Talaal describes his heart pounding almost coming out of his chest, he likens it to the beating of the drum that gets louder and louder. However, when his sister encourages him to recite the Qur'an, she points out that '...it sounds so beautiful, better than any song. I listen to the melody, I feel it my chest. When I remember Allah, My heart is at rest.' Although, I am at a dilemma about how I feel having the Qur'an compared to any song, on the other hand (as I stated above), the verses that followed are so powerful and overshadow the other. I love the fact that the book shows Talaal continuously working with these tips and seeing the improvement over time instead of showing instantaneous results. I feel that this is more realistic and relatable, things take time.

I truly appreciate books like this one, it brings faith together with a natural occurrence to navigate them to the better outcome. Because of this, at a young age it shows our kids that no matter what their obstacle is, we can always refer to Islam for guidance and solution. This is an amazing book, especially for those who can relate to those emotions.

Sep 22/2019