Wardha's Wonder Boxes & Hajer's Day at the Beach by Zarina Mohideen Hisbullah
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
Title: Wardha's Wonder Boxes, Hajer's Day at the Beach
Author: Zarina Mohideen Hizbullah
Illustrator: Purnima Mitra
Publisher: Bee Books
Age: 5-10
Average
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Islamic Content: Patience, Knowledge
Concerns: None
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Wardha's Wonder Boxes:
Wardha moves from the green, colourful village to the gray, dusty city. She misses her home and wants to go back. When her father brings large boxes for her, they hang them on the window sill, fill them with soil and plant marigold seeds.
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The main lesson in this story is practicing patience. Wardha is advised to make dua while being patient in the new place. When her seeds blossomed, they brought life and colour to the city buildings. The neighbours were encouraged to do the same so the balconies and window sills were filled throughout. I love the core idea of the story, patience through prayer and it is an easy-to-understand concept for the young listeners. However, I find that something is missing that would make the execution of this story smooth and flawless but can't quite figure it out.
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Hajer's Day at the Beach:
Hajer has a special love for learning. She repeatedly recited 'Rabbi zidni ilma.' Her only wish was to visit the beach early in the morning but her parents are busy with their daily duties. Thus, her uncle volunteered to take her along with his family. They are enjoying the sun rays, the waves and the sand but before they know it, the sand is too hot to step on, and they cannot get to the car. Hajer comes up with a brilliant plan.
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I found this book to be a little far-fetched with the core concept of knowledge. Hajer has a passion for learning and because of it, she has a wealth of knowledge. Thus, how she came up with a plan to escape the hot sand and get everyone safely into the car. The story takes awhile to get to the main event at the beach, with the over descriptions of the home setting and the bakery which I don't really think it added much to the story itself.
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The illustrations are little bland, I would have loved to see bold and vibrant colours used. I think both these stories teach valuable lessons and with the contributions of a great editor they would be well polished.
Sep 18/2020