The Monkey, The Cow, and the Wolf (The Song Book) by Zain Bhikha illustrated by Amir Al-Zubi and Azra Momin
I was wondering when the book version of this song was going to be released. It is a beloved at our house, and when the book arrived, I don’t know if the 4 year old or 13 year old was more excited. Either way, none of us were able to read the book, we all, by about page two, were singing at full volume the story of the monkey, the cow, and the wolf. If upon seeing this cover you didn’t immediately start humming the beloved kid’s song, then you are in for a treat with this book as three stories about animals teaching timeless lessons are shared. The book is simply the lyrics of the song, so a parent might need to explain a bit, but the fun illustrations, and rhyming lines will make it a favorite for toddlers and preschoolers to sing and flip pages to, alhumdulillah.
The song/book is organized with a statement, a chorus highlighting the moral after each story and then repeating the opening framing statement. The first story is about a business man who would cheat his customers, Allah swt sent him a monkey, and the monkey purified his wealth by disposing of half of it in the sea. The moral being that “Allah hates cheating, Allah hates lies, so give what’s due and receive what’s right.”
The next story is about a farmer and his cow. The farmer works his animals way too hard, so Allah allows the cow to speak and tell his owner not to abuse him or the other animals. The moral being that “Allah made animals, Allah made man, to all living creatures be kind and fair.”
The final story is about the wolf trying to steal the sheep and the shepherd protecting them. The warning is that the sheep must be strong in faith for the wolf will always be trying to take you.
The book and song are catchy and fun, and provide stories and morals to discuss with kids at story time and bedtime. The only slightly odd thing about the book is that the last page is the inside back cover. I’m sure it was a binding decision but it seems it could have balanced the title pages at the beginning to make it feel symmetrical.
Available to order HERE
