Don't Forget to Say Bismillah !

Don't forget to say BISMILLAH It a book that demonstrates how basic dua is incorporated into the daily life of a Muslim family using a combination of text and sound. I don think Ie come across any Islamic children book like this to date. I excited about this book because not only is it an engaging story that seamlessly incorporates aspects of Muslim manners, but it is, from the illustrations to the design, a product that is professionally produced. It Safiyya first day at nursery today,says Mum. nd I have a spelling test today,says Sara. nd I have a big football match today,says Ali verything will go well, Inshallah,reassures Mum, ut don forget to say Bismillah before beginning anything you do. done, Al-Hamdulillah,says Ali. our pancakes are the best Mum!azakallahu Khairan,says Mum. Don forget to say Bismillah! has a battery operated panel located on the side that allows the reader to press a button to listen to the sound of keywords that appear in the story (such as the coloured words in the excerpt you see above). The slider at the top of the sound panel makes it easy for the reader to move from the Arabic pronunciation of a word to its meaning in English and vice versa. This provides English-speaking children with the opportunity to know the meaning of the Arabic phrases they say, something which is not always the case as the Arabic is learnt and repeated by custom. The story is simple a look at a day in the life of a Muslim family from morning as they set off to work and school to the evening as they sit together for dinner. The youngest member of the family, Safiyya, is off to her first day of nursery. Just as she is nervous about it, Mom is nervous about returning to workplace after being away for a long time. Through the entire book Islamic duas are said by members of the household as they eat, talk of plans for the day, are at school or the park. Young children will delight in seeing Safiyya attempt to say the duas. She wants to say the duas just as her big brother and sister do. So Safiyya says um Lalawhen she hears her brother Ali say l-Hamdulillahafter eating breakfast or ah-Lalawhen her mother and sister respond to Ali l-Hamdulillahwhen he sneezes. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book as they were realistic. The details make the characters seem like theye from a Muslim family you know. The book is larger than the average book, but its size is suitable for a child to hold in his lap or place on the table or on the ground in front of him. The sturdy covers protect the glossy pages. Text on the page is clearly printed in a font that is easy to read and does not crowd the page. A glossary at the back of the book provides the meaning of the basic dua and briefly explains when they are used. A simple match game ends the book as readers are invited to match the dua to the context which it should be said. This activity is good for slightly older readers. Don forget to say Bismillah! is a book that a child three years to six years can read with an adult or on his/her own. It provides an entertaining way of learning duas for the first-time learner or of reinforcing those duas that a child may already be learning at home or at school. I think children heading off to school for the first time would enjoy reading this book as well.

• Author: Desi Doll

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