A Muslim Life

November 15, 2019
Grades 3-5 This entry in the Following a Faith series focuses on Islam, describing several religious traditions, rituals, beliefs, and daily practices. Topics are covered in two-page sections? Food and Mealtimes, Going to the Mosque, Fasting at Ramadan, Going on Hajj, etc., ?that include a half-dozen paragraphs tackling different aspects of the subject. These info-nuggets are inserted among photographs of Muslims engaging their religion in some way, often praying or eating. Though the book paints with broad strokes, Senker does a good job of stressing the positive values of the religion as a whole, placing a strong focus on community and charity and avoiding negative stereotypes. The art, on the other hand, seems to frame Islam as something that exists solely in Eastern, Islamic nations, which may give American readers, for instance, the impression of Muslims as a monolithic other rather than a part of their own communities. Still, the well-paced and informative text provides a solid foundation for young readers interested in an introduction to Islam.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)