![Eliyas Explians Ramadan by Zanib Mian illustrated by Daniel Hills](https://islamicschoollibrarian.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/img_2980-1.jpg?w=113)
Eliyas Explians Ramadan by Zanib Mian illustrated by Daniel Hills
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This is the fifth book in the Eliyas Explains series, and it really is what you would expect and hope, a book about Ramadan from Zanib Mian would be. Eliyas’s voice is funny, relatable, engaging, and yet somehow manages to find a clear way to inform too. The framing is fictional, but the book is meant to be lesson, moral, and information filled. The voice did seem to break when Eliya’s didn’t know what “Ramadan Mubarak” meant, but it is clear that the book is meant to teach and remind middle grade kids about Ramadan from moon sighting to Eid, so I don’t think anyone other than an old reviewer would notice. Parents might notice though that Eliyas loses his cool at one point and starts to presumably call his sister stupid, it stops at “st,” but then says he “started to cuss” which in America would be taken to mean a profanity much stronger than stupid, so just be aware, so you don’t panic if your child asks. Overall the book is great, it is a solid 80 pages before the guided journaling begins and concludes at 115 pages. The illustrations, changing font, and humor really make it perfect for the age group. I gave it to my eight year old to read and I could hear him laughing, saying a few dua’as aloud, and he even came and asked me a few questions making sure he understood new information correctly. This book would work as an independent read, a read aloud, or even an elementary reading assignment in an Islamic or weekend school. The book is remarkable for the simple fact that it starts by naming the scholar that proofed the book, truly this is revolutionary, please can we normalize sourcing already.
The book is divided into chapters, with chapter one reintroducing Eliyas and his family to the reader. They are out on a bike ride and Eliya’s wants to know why everyone is so excited for Ramadan and giving up food and water. Mom and dad explain taqwa and good deeds being multiplied and prayers being answered and big shaytans being locked up and Eliyas is excited (to put it mildly) to get closer to Allah swt and be a better version of himself.
Chapter two explains the moon, making intention, and waking up for suhoor. With nine chapters before the journaling, the book discusses doing good deeds, fighting, forgiveness, shaytan being locked up, taraweeh, Laylatul Qader, and Eid.
The journaling guides readers through forgiveness, ibadah, goals, duas, kindness, feelings, connecting with Allah swt and more. The beauty of this book is that it does pack a lot of information, but it shows a lot too, and gives kids a way to see Ramadan in action.