by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi

read aloud grade 1, readability grade 4

Ramadan is an excellent resource that explains the lives of Muslims, not only during their most important holiday Ramadan, but also throughout the rest of the year. Many interesting facts about Muslims are revealed as the story brings readers into the lives of Hakeem and his family. In addition to the text, the illustrations of Omar Rayyan are beautiful, intricate, and reflect the Islamic artistic style. There is also a useful glossary of terms that are brought up in the book.

When looking at each of the illustrations, there is usually an intricate border around it. Use these pages or find some other examples of borders on Islamic texts and art work. Ask students to carefully look at them and discuss what makes this style unique. Have students make some borders of their own imitating this style. Use fine black markers to make the outlines and use light colours to fill them in.