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Ramadan Moon
By: Na’ima B. Robert
Illustrator: Shirin Adl
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Limited
Copyright: 2009
Genre: Multicultural, Informative, Fiction
Grade Level: Any
Brief Synopsis: The month of Ramadan is a very exciting time for Muslims to celebrate mercy and appreciation. It is a time for fasting during daylight, prayers throughout the day, visits to the mosque, and being especially kind to others. The young girl narrating this story tells how she is watching the progress of the moon each night from one new moon to the next. At the end of Ramadan the Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, which is also described in this story.
About the Author:
Na’ima B. Robert- Na’ima B. Robert is “Muslim, Black, mixed-race, South African, Western, revert and woman all in one”. Scottish on her father’s side and Zulu on her mother’s side. She was born in Leeds and grew up in Zimbabwe. She attended University of London and has worked in marketing, performing arts, teaching, travel, and tourism. All of these things inspire her when writing now. When she became a mum she began writing children’s books. She has converted to Islam and married a Ghanaian convert. She now lives between South London and Egypt. 
Shirin Adl- Shirin Adl was born Shirin Saramad in Harlow in 1975. A little while later she left England for Iran and decided to stay there as it seemed like a good place for growing up. She got her degree in illustration at Loughborough University. She also designs greeting cards, and Ramadan Moon is her first children’s book.Shirin currently lives in Oxford with her lovely husband Mr. Adl.Themes:
Understanding what Ramadan is and how it is celebrated.
Following the lifestyle of a Muslim family
Learning to be humble and grateful
Being charitable towards others
Learning the cycles of the moon
Pre-Reading Activites:
-Group work about the Islam religion. Have students break into 4 groups. Each group will become an expert about one portion of the Islam religion. (History, Holidays and Food, Prayer, and Restrictions/Limitations) Once each group has found the information for their criteria they will present their information to the class in a short presentation. They have the choice of how they want to visually present the information. (Powerpoint, poster, or handout)
-Mini- lesson or review on the moon cycle. Have the students draw out the moon cycle after discussing it so that they understand what is going on when the young girl describes it during Ramadan. Islam bases their religion on the Lunar cycle, which is why the moon cycle is so important.
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-Have students define words from a word wall by first writing the definition, then drawing a picture, and lastly putting the word in a complete sentence. This will help lessen the confusion when the students come to these words in the story.
Post Reading Activities:
-Have students think of their favorite holiday and write a short story about it with vivid illustrations.
*With older kids you can ask them to answer the following questions after writing their story.
- Why is this holiday important to you?
- Is this holiday celebrated by your religion and why is it celebrated?
- What unique family traditions do you follow pertaining to this holiday?
-Compare and contrast Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr with another holiday that the student celebrates. They can use a Venn diagram or be creative with their graphic organizers to compare and contrast.
-Create a project of choice to explain the aspects of Ramadan including: fasting, prayers, celebration, moon cycle, and charity. This can be done in a variety of ways like poster, shadow box, diorama, song, skit, etc. Again I would let the students have a choice in how they present.
Reflection:
When I began reading this book the vibrant illustrations were what first peaked my interest. The title gives away the topic of the book, so I knew what I would be getting in to. I liked that the narration is done by a young girl, and this allows young children to put themselves in her shoes. The author also does not put any distinct location of where the young narrator lives. I believe this is smart because they all readers can put themselves in this story, and they will not feel like this only happens in some far off distant place.
I love that the illustrations are using different materials and fabrics that make you look deeper into what is being shown. It is great that the moon is shown on almost every page so that the reader can follow along with what the moon cycle looks like on each day of Ramadan. This book portrays the importance and excitement that both Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr hold for Muslims. This book is best for those interested in learning more about the Muslim holiday. This is also a great book for Muslim students to read and show off and have pride in their religion. It would also help the student explain their customs to others (peers and teachers).
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