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Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story
Now that she is ten, Lailah is delighted that she can fast during the month of Ramadan like her family and her friends in Abu Dhabi, but finding a way to explain to her teacher and classmates in Atlanta is a challenge until she gets some good advice from the librarian, Mrs. Carman.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
June 23, 2018
This year I turned 10 years old. That meant, as a muslim, I have to do all the things an adult muslim girl should do. That means, fasting in the month of Ramadan.
At first, I was nervous. At school, what if people stared at me and asked questions? I talked with my parents.
We thought of a solution. Everyday in my lunch box, mommy would pack me activities such as: connect the dots or word searches.
Even with that solution, I still felt a little nervous. The book “Lailah’s Lunchbox” made me confident to fast all of Ramadan. Also, I just LOVE reading.
“Lailah’s Lunchbox” inspired me. I’m glad I had someone to relate to all of Ramadan.
At first, I was nervous. At school, what if people stared at me and asked questions? I talked with my parents.
We thought of a solution. Everyday in my lunch box, mommy would pack me activities such as: connect the dots or word searches.
Even with that solution, I still felt a little nervous. The book “Lailah’s Lunchbox” made me confident to fast all of Ramadan. Also, I just LOVE reading.
“Lailah’s Lunchbox” inspired me. I’m glad I had someone to relate to all of Ramadan.
July 17, 2018
This is a cute children’s book. It is written from the perspective of Lailah, a young girl who has moved from Abu Dhabi with her family to Peachtree, Georgia. This year will be her first time celebrating Ramadan, as she was previously too young to participate in the fast. She is worried that her teacher and classmates won’t understand.
January 17, 2016
OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS SO ADORABLE.
The main character is really excited to be grown up enough to fast during Ramadan, but doesn't know how to explain it to non-Muslims, especially her teacher.
I WANT A WHOLE SERIES WITH LAILAH.
The main character is really excited to be grown up enough to fast during Ramadan, but doesn't know how to explain it to non-Muslims, especially her teacher.
I WANT A WHOLE SERIES WITH LAILAH.
July 22, 2022
rep - muslim middle-eastern
aaaaah, this was everthing ! it reminded me the old day when i'd started fasting and talked about it to all my friends and classmates.
this book is so positive and everyone around Lailah was supportive. this warms my heart.
aaaaah, this was everthing ! it reminded me the old day when i'd started fasting and talked about it to all my friends and classmates.
this book is so positive and everyone around Lailah was supportive. this warms my heart.
May 30, 2017
I thought this was a good introduction for Ramadan for my third graders. (If anyone has any other suggestions, I will take them! Thank you!)
March 3, 2021
Lailah is excited to be allowed to fast for the month of Ramadan, but misses her friends back in Abu Dhabi, where she lived before her family moved to Peachtree City, Georgia. When her mother gives her a note for her teacher, explaining about her fast, Lailah feels too awkward to hand it in, and finds herself struggling to explain to her classmates why she isn't eating lunch with them. Then a visit to the school library, and a chat with kindly librarian Mrs. Carman gives Lailah an idea about how to communicate what she is doing and why...
Pairing an engaging and heartwarming tale with appealing illustrations, Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story is the first book I have read from author Reem Faruqi, who seems to have based her story at least partially on her own life experiences, moving from the United Arab Emirates to the United States as a young person. I appreciated that fasting for Ramadan is depicted as something positive and desirable here, rather than some sort of chore or obligation, and that the librarian was depicted as being so open and understanding. I certainly hope that this is the experience most children have, with those who work in their schools. I wasn't surprised to see that this was published by the Maine-based Tilbury House, which is one of my favorite small presses, as they have produced a number of other excellent picture-books about a variety of topics, including Ramadan (see Reza Jalali's Moon Watchers: Shirin's Ramadan Miracle ). The illustrator here, Lea Lyon, has illustrated a number of Tilbury House titles I have enjoyed - Peggy Moss's Say Something , Genevieve Petrillo's Keep Your Ear on the Ball - and her work here is engaging. All in all, a successful picture-book, one I would recommend to those seeking Ramadan and/or contemporary Arab-American immigrant stories for children.
Pairing an engaging and heartwarming tale with appealing illustrations, Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story is the first book I have read from author Reem Faruqi, who seems to have based her story at least partially on her own life experiences, moving from the United Arab Emirates to the United States as a young person. I appreciated that fasting for Ramadan is depicted as something positive and desirable here, rather than some sort of chore or obligation, and that the librarian was depicted as being so open and understanding. I certainly hope that this is the experience most children have, with those who work in their schools. I wasn't surprised to see that this was published by the Maine-based Tilbury House, which is one of my favorite small presses, as they have produced a number of other excellent picture-books about a variety of topics, including Ramadan (see Reza Jalali's Moon Watchers: Shirin's Ramadan Miracle ). The illustrator here, Lea Lyon, has illustrated a number of Tilbury House titles I have enjoyed - Peggy Moss's Say Something , Genevieve Petrillo's Keep Your Ear on the Ball - and her work here is engaging. All in all, a successful picture-book, one I would recommend to those seeking Ramadan and/or contemporary Arab-American immigrant stories for children.
May 30, 2017
Lailah is excited to be celebrating Ramadan, but uncertain how to talk to her teachers and classmates about it. A relatable story for both those who celebrate and those who do not. Recommended for grades 2 & up.
August 24, 2018
Very interesting and really well done!
It's a great book for Muslims to see themselves represented and have fears and concerns addressed. It's also a great way for non-Muslims to learn a little bit about how important Ramadan is!
It's a great book for Muslims to see themselves represented and have fears and concerns addressed. It's also a great way for non-Muslims to learn a little bit about how important Ramadan is!
June 1, 2017
A great book for introducing kids (and adults) to Ramadan! The glossary and note from the author really made this book.
(And bonus points for having a friendly, helpful librarian.)
(And bonus points for having a friendly, helpful librarian.)
June 20, 2018
Lailah recently moved from Abu Dhabi to Peachtree City, Georgia, and while she misses her friends back in the Middle East, she is very excited to be old enough to fast during Ramadan. Lailah is in a difficult situation. She is the new kid in school and also different from her classmates. How can she participate in Ramadan when no one in class knows what it is and what if she is the only one fasting? When her mother gives Lailah a note excusing her from lunch, Lailah hides the note when it is time to give it to her teacher Mrs. Penworth, and she has to endure the tempting smells of food and kind offers of her classmates to share lunch. After escaping to the library, the school librarian encourages Lailah to write down her feelings and share them with her teacher. After all, who knows what could come of sharing her culture?
Lailah's Lunchbox is a story that will hit home to a lot of younger Muslims and it also reminded me of my own childhood explaining why I would not eat and drink for an entire month to my classmates and teachers in school. Lailah's is proud of her religion and culture, but is unable to express herself until a librarian advises her to explain her feelings. This picture book is a great introduction to Ramadan for both young Muslims and non-Muslims.The large, often full-page watercolor illustrations provide gentle details that add depth to the text. A note and glossary round out the story, giving context from the author's life and information about Islamic culture. A great addition to a growing number of books that educate about Islam without being preachy or heavy handed.
Lailah's Lunchbox is a story that will hit home to a lot of younger Muslims and it also reminded me of my own childhood explaining why I would not eat and drink for an entire month to my classmates and teachers in school. Lailah's is proud of her religion and culture, but is unable to express herself until a librarian advises her to explain her feelings. This picture book is a great introduction to Ramadan for both young Muslims and non-Muslims.The large, often full-page watercolor illustrations provide gentle details that add depth to the text. A note and glossary round out the story, giving context from the author's life and information about Islamic culture. A great addition to a growing number of books that educate about Islam without being preachy or heavy handed.
August 22, 2017
Autobiographical in all but the main character's name. Lailah moved to Peachtree City, Georgia from Abu Dhabi, and misses her friends, but this year she gets to join in for Ramadan fasting. She's excited to be part of it, but she suddenly worries that her teacher and classmates will think she forgot her food, in spite of a letter that her mother sends. It's only when Lailah confides in the school librarian that she gets the courage to write down her feelings and teach those around her about this important ritual.
Definitely a good pick for teaching your students about the fasting of their classmates, so pick this up a day or two before Ramadan starts, so you can avoid misunderstandings. I don't know if it's better or worse for pretty much not explaining the religious background of the holiday, so take that into account when setting up your lesson.
The artwork is good, though, in my opinion, a bit rough. I'd have liked firmer lines, myself, but that's a stylistic choice, so your own appreciation will be subjective.
Definitely a good pick for teaching your students about the fasting of their classmates, so pick this up a day or two before Ramadan starts, so you can avoid misunderstandings. I don't know if it's better or worse for pretty much not explaining the religious background of the holiday, so take that into account when setting up your lesson.
The artwork is good, though, in my opinion, a bit rough. I'd have liked firmer lines, myself, but that's a stylistic choice, so your own appreciation will be subjective.
October 12, 2015
Lailah’s Lunchbox was a nice book about not being afraid to be yourself. Lailah is a young girl who is going to fast for the first time during the month of Ramadan. Although Lailah is excited she is also afraid of what her teacher and peers will think when she goes to the library instead of going to lunch.” What if Mrs.Penworth didn’t know about Ramadan? No one else would be fasting with her.” When Lailah’s mom sends a note to Mrs. Penworth Lailah doesn’t give it to her out of shame. Towards the end of the school day Lailah gives Mrs.Penworth a poem she wrote about Ramadan. The next day Lailah is amazed at what Mrs.Penworth asks her to do. The illustrations within the book are colorful, and represent the words in the story well.
April 3, 2023
I've really enjoyed all of the books that I have read by this author. Lailah's Lunchbox is a short children's book. It is based on the author's childhood. And it gives us a bit of insight as to what it's like for a child when they are the only one in their class fasting.
As an adult I also really enjoyed getting this glimpse into Ramadan.
As an adult I also really enjoyed getting this glimpse into Ramadan.
September 28, 2020
Love this sweet story! Children who celebrate Ramadan or who have moved and left friends behind will see themselves in it, and children who haven't experienced either will learn about both as Lailah figures out how to explain Ramadan to her teacher and classmates. I love the descriptive language and motion in this - Lailah and her mother twirl around as they talk at the beginning of the story, Lailah's fingers feel "extra free and swingy" as she walks to the bus stop without her lunchbox, and she adds extra loops to her writing.
Lailah has friendly classmates and a kind teacher, but even so has a hard time figuring out how to explain the absence of her lunch. I loved this detail - that even with an audience who wants to understand, it can be hard to explain why you're different or doing something different. Lailah eventually writes a note and her voice is so kid-like and excited, with P.S. and P.P.S. and P.P.P.S and exclamation marks and a little poem, that it adds another layer of great voice to the writing.
There is also an author's note and glossary at the back that explains the connection of the author's childhood to the story. Highly recommend for teaching about Ramadan, immigration stories, making new friends, and as a fun narrative story.
Lailah has friendly classmates and a kind teacher, but even so has a hard time figuring out how to explain the absence of her lunch. I loved this detail - that even with an audience who wants to understand, it can be hard to explain why you're different or doing something different. Lailah eventually writes a note and her voice is so kid-like and excited, with P.S. and P.P.S. and P.P.P.S and exclamation marks and a little poem, that it adds another layer of great voice to the writing.
There is also an author's note and glossary at the back that explains the connection of the author's childhood to the story. Highly recommend for teaching about Ramadan, immigration stories, making new friends, and as a fun narrative story.
August 6, 2016
Genre: picture book
Plot: Lailah's family has moved from Abu Dhabi to Georgia, and while Lailah has started to make friends, she isn't sure how to explain to them why she isn't eating lunch. It's the first time Lailah's mother has allowed her to fast for Ramadan, and Lailah is excited for this development. She finds a friend in the school librarian, who allows her to spend her lunch time in the library. And when she gathers the courage to tell her teacher why she isn't eating, she's met with acceptance. More a book about honesty and trust than Ramadan, but beautiful no matter how it's used.
Readers' Advisory:
Recommended age: 4-8
Plot: Lailah's family has moved from Abu Dhabi to Georgia, and while Lailah has started to make friends, she isn't sure how to explain to them why she isn't eating lunch. It's the first time Lailah's mother has allowed her to fast for Ramadan, and Lailah is excited for this development. She finds a friend in the school librarian, who allows her to spend her lunch time in the library. And when she gathers the courage to tell her teacher why she isn't eating, she's met with acceptance. More a book about honesty and trust than Ramadan, but beautiful no matter how it's used.
Readers' Advisory:
Recommended age: 4-8
November 5, 2016
Lailah's Lunchbox is a story about a young Muslim girl who is fasting for the first time during Ramadan. She is far away from where she grew up, missing her friends and is unsure if her teacher and classmates will understand what Ramadan is and why she is fasting. This touching realistic fiction story has a subtle message about individuals needing the courage around them to talk about deep, personal situations in their live and that there are people out there that understand. In a reading classroom using this book can be inclusive to students from different cultures and teach others about cultural difference to possible provide clarity to different religious or cultural norms.
November 15, 2017
A culturally specific and thematically universal story about feeling strange in a new place and learning to share who you are. Lailah is excited to fast for Ramadan for the first time but nervous about explaining it to her non-Muslim teacher and classmates. All of her school interactions are positive, so the conflict is an internal one. Reem Faruqi so effectively captures Lailah's feelings and thoughts that when I went to re-read it I realized I had mis-remembered it as being written in first person.
This simple and relatable story can serve as a "me too" story for Muslim children or an introduction to Ramadan for others.
This simple and relatable story can serve as a "me too" story for Muslim children or an introduction to Ramadan for others.
August 16, 2015
This book was given to my family from dear friends during Ramadan, so that we might understand more about their observance of this time of fasting and faith. My children enjoyed it and found it easy to relate to and share with their friends. It's a warm story with beautiful illustrations that would make a great addition to any family's bookshelf. It helps children to understand a bit more about their friends who might have different religious beliefs, practices & observances from their own and how to talk about those differences with openness and respect.
October 25, 2017
The author and illustrator created an uplifting story of acceptance for a Muslim family who recently immigrated to America. Lailah is the daughter who is excited to participate in Ramadan fasting with her family for the first time. She is hesitant at first to share about Ramadan at school, but her excitement returns when she has positive interactions with the school librarian and her teacher. The book won awards through the American Library Association and the National Council for the Social Studies. I will definitely be recommending this book.
June 2, 2019
So lovely! Would work for a wide variety of ages...was perfectly appropriate for my 5 year old and I would easily share this with older kids, adults, preschoolers, anyone. Would make a great classroom read aloud for Ramadan. Based on the true story of the author's life, this deals with the reality of being a religious minority while celebrating what Ramadan is and means and has great back matter. Honestly, my only ding on that book is I really wanted to see her big loopy L and it wasn't drawn that way. Fabulous book.
August 14, 2019
This book nicely shows a child's feeling of excitment for a rite of passage through their religion, but also the trepidation they feel when having to explain it to people who do not or might not understand. With the Author’s note which explains Ramadan in more detail, this could be a nice way to explain this part of the Muslim religion. I am not positive without the Author’s note that the importance of Ramadan is truly explained, however the concerns of being and feeling different definitely are.
Read
November 26, 2022Well this was adorable. I could have wished for maybe a little more about what the point of Ramadan actually is, and I’m not entirely sure who this is aimed at (picture book-age children will almost definitely be too young to be doing full fasts at school themselves!), but the story was lovely and I appreciated that Lailah’s teachers were so supportive!
Also, the watercolour illustrations are beautiful and felt very reminiscent of my favourite childhood picture books (Shirley Hughes’ Alfie, anyone?)
Also, the watercolour illustrations are beautiful and felt very reminiscent of my favourite childhood picture books (Shirley Hughes’ Alfie, anyone?)
July 22, 2015
This is a beautiful new book that teaches courage in accepting your differences, tolerance, and respect for each other. I love the diversity in the illustrations and in the text. There are so many nuances to the story and illustrations that make it such an endearing book. There’s the classmates offering to share, there’s the librarian’s welcoming smile and the teachers gentle response to Lailah. A perfect book for Muslim families this Ramadan and a perfect book for any diverse bookshelf.
November 17, 2016
A Muslim girl fasts for Ramadan for the first time, after moving from the UAE to the USA.
This was cute - I really liked how the story emphasized that this was something Lailah was proud to finally be allowed to do, not an onerous, embarrassing task. She struggles with expressing herself to her teacher and classmates, but ultimately comes up with a solution.
The illustrations were fun - watercolor and pencil, I think. Brightly colored and detailed.
This was cute - I really liked how the story emphasized that this was something Lailah was proud to finally be allowed to do, not an onerous, embarrassing task. She struggles with expressing herself to her teacher and classmates, but ultimately comes up with a solution.
The illustrations were fun - watercolor and pencil, I think. Brightly colored and detailed.
June 10, 2017
This is a lovely children's book that I shared with the children in my community. It's about a Muslim girl named Lailah who is experiencing fasting for Ramadan for the first time. It showed emotion and how important this time of fasting is for Muslims. The illustrations were perfect. The book was not too long, so the children did not get bored. I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this books to family and friends.
October 9, 2015
This book is a great way to introduce the concept of Ramadan to elementary students. I read this book with a fourth grade student who understood that it was about being thankful and fasting. This book would be great to include in an upper elementary classroom, especially one in which there are both Muslim students and students who are not Muslim.
May 14, 2017
Absolutely wonderful! Told in the perspective of a young girl's first endeavor with fasting, and how much this means to her while also remembering her friends faraway, young Lailah hopes that this religious partaking will ease well with classmates at her new school and hopefully feel that "homeliness" finally.
July 16, 2018
Lailah provides our readers an inside look at the tradition of Ramadan in the Muslim culture and the challenges that come along with practicing it within the confines of another place. This books show that even though our cultures are different, deep down we all want the same thing: to be understood and accepted for who we are.
September 18, 2018
This book is wonderful for several reasons. 1) it is well written and has excellent illustrations, 2) it teaches children about Ramadan and their Muslim friends, and 3) as demonstrated in other reviews, it provides encouragement and support for young Muslim students as they explain Ramadan fasting to their peers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews