Under the Ramadan Moon Book Review

Under the Ramadan Moon 
Written by Sylvia Whitman
Illustrated by Sue Williams
Published in 2011

Under the Ramadan Moon also appeared in our 5 Books that Celebrate and Teach About Ramadan and Eid post.

Mom's Review
Under the Ramadan Moon is a rhyming picture book that presents a young family celebrating Ramadan. The children accompany their parents through charity, fasting (from food and bad habits), celebrations, and prayer. Soft colors, young characters, and a refrain of "under the moon, under the moon, under the Ramadan moon" make this picture book ideal for a young audience. Small children can identify with the characters, regardless of faith, and observe common Ramadan practices.

For a non-Muslim family, this is a basic introduction that will help children understand their neighbors and find the similarities in how we live out our different faiths. For Christians coming out of Lent, what we hold in common stands out, namely prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Since the start of Lent, we have talked about the different holy seasons and days that are being celebrated in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; T has had many questions, and Under the Ramadan Moon is one book that he enjoys and that shows how connected we all are. This isn't the only book we are reading; it is an introduction and inspires conversation. Back matter provides more in-depth information about the holy month for adult readers. It was a helpful resource for answering T's questions.

Families looking for books about Ramadan or books with Muslim characters have a good option with Under the Ramadan Moon. 

Son's Review
(Age: 5)
Mom: Did you like it?

Son: I liked it SOOO much! I like how it rhymed. "Under the moon. Under the moon. Under the Ramadan moon."

Mom: How did reading this make you feel?

Son: It made me feel good.

Mom: How does the family celebrate Ramadan?

Son: They do nice things. They tidy up. They give to the poor. They read books. They meet friends, and they have parties. And they tell stories, and they pray, and they have faith.

Mom: What should people know about Under the Ramadan Moon?

Son: It does rhymes.

Note: A review copy was proved by Albert Whitman and Company.