My First Ramadan

by Karen Katz

Look! There is the new moon in the sky.

It's time for Ramadan to begin. Follow along with one young boy as he observes the Muslim holy month with his family. This year, the narrator is finally old enough to fast, and readers of all ages will be interested as he shares his experiences of this special holiday.

Genres: Picture Books, Islam, Childrens, Muslims, Holiday, Religion, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2007

About the author

Karen Katz has written and illustrated many books for children, including The Colors of Us, Can You Say Peace, My First Ramadan, Counting Kisses and Where is Baby's Belly Button. Long inspired by folk art from around the world, she was inspired to write her first book, Over the Moon, when she and her husband adopted their daughter from Guatemala, and she wanted to tell the story of welcoming Lena into their lives. Katz loves to paint and experiment with texture, color, collage and pattern. Besides an author and illustrator, she has been a costume designer, quilt maker, fabric artist and graphic designer. Katz and her family divide their time between New York City and Saugerties, New York.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/karenkatz

Reviews

[Jacoba · Rating 3 out of 5]

My First Ramadan by Karen Katz (2007)
Genre:Picure Book
Format: book
Plot summary:A boy observes the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with his family
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory (strong language, sex, death, religious overtones, violence, etc.): May depict the Prophet Mohammad
Review citation (if available):Anderson, Kristin School Library Journal , Aug2007, Vol. 53 Issue 12, p82-82
Section source used to find the material: ALA booklist "Books on Islam for children and teens"
Recommended age: Ages 3-6

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In honor of Ramadan, we read this tonight. It is one of Sophia's favorite books.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

My First Ramadan is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Karen Katz. It is a book about an adorable little Muslim boy who is exited that Ramadan is about to begin. This year he wants to fast like the grown-ups! Tonight is the first night of Ramadan (15 May) so I thought it would be apropos to read this book today.

The text is rather straightforward and well-paced. It is a wonderful book told from the perspective of a little boy who is really excited about Ramadan starting and is anxious to be fasting for the very first time, because he is now old enough. The illustrations are quite beautiful and very colorful and complement the text rather well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It's about a Muslim boy excited about Ramadan happening and that he is old enough to fast for the very first time. Surprisingly, it is an extremely informative book focusing and introducing topics like the Koran, fasting, suhoor, fajir, iftar, and Eid al-Fitr and is explained in a comprehensible manner. I love that this book takes place in many settings like home, school, and the mosque.

One quibble I have with the book is that it jumps several weeks without saying a word about it, except that the moon phase was changing. It's problematic, because without further explanation, a child might think that Ramadan lasts a couple of days and not a month.

All in all, My First Ramadan is a wonderful children's book about a boy's first Ramadan and was surprisingly informative.

[Alana Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a child's first Ramadan. It details the tradition and the process that Muslims around the world go through during Ramadan. Because it deals with words key in the religion that those on the outside may be unfamiliar with, it includes pronunciation key for those difficult words. This makes the book accessible for those who are learning about religion for the first time. The sentences are easy to follow. I could see this book being used in a read-aloud or used in as an informational book about the holiday during a religion unit. This book is best suited for grades below fourth.

[Brandy Watkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture book provided a simple representation of the holiday, Ramadan, through a young child's lenses. The sentence structure was short and a little choppy, which is why I did not enjoy the book as much. I liked the few pronunciations provided on to how pronounce unfamiliar Islamic words and the illustrations were bright and unique.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great first book to introduce children to Ramadan

[sabioandmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabio loves this book! Because its similarities to our rituals in Ramadan. And the illustrations are superb!

[Ayren Daniels]

Informational. Shows a diverse collection of people. Positive showing of Islam.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddie had read this in school today, so she helped me read it to Kait.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

My First Ramadan is a cute picture book, where Karen Katz uses a child's perspective to inform yoing children about the month of Ramadan. I thought it was simple and informative, but I was not impressed with the details, as it seems like that it was written by someone, who doesn't have great knowledge on the subject. It will only be suitable for very young children, as i don't think the story will be interesting to children ages 5 and up. I like that at the end of the book, the illustrations show diverse group of Muslims.

[Caitlin Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

My First Ramadan illustrates the Muslim holiday from the point of view of a young boy. It relates to my religion text set as a representation of Islamic traditions. This picture book is an informational text. I am not sure if this story is written from an insider perspective, as Karen Katz also has books such as My First Kwanzaa and My First Chinese New Year, so she may not practice Islamic traditions herself.

My First Ramadan is great for young children who are being introduced to the Islamic faith. Topics such as the Koran, fasting, suhoor, fajir, iftar, and Eid al-Fitr are explained in easily comprehensible ways. The plot is not particularly rich, but the book would be a nice introduction for further discussion. The characters seem realistic, and different settings such as home, school, and the mosque are explored. One thing to note is that the story jumps forward by four weeks, and younger children may need some guidance in thinking about how long this time period is. The way the book is presented, I would not be surprised if children thought that Ramadan is much shorter than it actually is. A lesson about time could be paired with the story, with a focus on terms such as month and week.

The illustrations are quite beautiful and very colorful. I think children would be very engaged throughout the story, but older children might find the simplistic language boring if the book is not paired with a more intensive activity. The pictures illustrate the plot very well, and enhance the story. The illustrations also showcase some traditional clothing. The images of people praying in the mosque can be helpful to children in understanding how praying can be done differently by different religious groups.

I think that Ramadan is represented accurately, as well as the characters. The author makes a point to note that Muslims can be from many diverse countries, and different cultural and ethnic groups seem to be represented. The character’s lives are somewhat simplified, but I think a point of this particular book is to be easily comprehensible and for the focus to stay on the holiday instead of the characters in particular. This book reveals some key rituals and traits of Ramadan and would be great for children to read to develop a more diverse, global understanding of religion.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

My First Ramadan by Karen Katz is a colorful children’s book used to describe the importance and expectations for families celebrating the holiday of Ramadan. The story talks about the purpose of fasting, the Koran, and prayer. It also describes words associated with the Muslim faith such as suhoor, fah-jar, iftar, Maghrib, Eid al-Fitr, Eid Mubarak, and mosque. I would use this story in my classroom around the time of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, for when Ramadan actually takes place. It is a wonderful way to teach about the diverse religions that are practiced by my students. Students can use this story as a mentor text for writing by comparing and contrasting two religions. First, students will create a Venn diagram, noting the similarities and differences of two religions. They will write a compare and contrast essay to follow. My students come from very diverse backgrounds, and students who practice this religion can help teach their classmates. This serves as a wonderful way to build classroom community as well. An extension reading that pairs nicely with this story is Nabeel's New Pants: An Eid Tale retold by Fawzia Gilani-Williams.

[Sophia Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose “My First Ramadan” by Karen Katz. This book discusses the holy month for Muslims around the world. Wher they fast from sunup to sundown, and how the Koran talks about this. It simplifies the reason that these people fast. It says “to concentrate on our faith” and “reminds us to be thankful for what we have.” They have a morning prayer called a “fajr” and talk about how they follow Islam which means peace. The main character talks about how these traditions Muslims did many years ago. The discusses the beauty of their religion and the meanings of the things they do. The moon is what determines when the month is over and the book is just so happy. The character lives somewhere and goes to school this is normal and everyone else celebrates as well. He explains that there are Muslims from every country like Asia, Europe and so on. The pictures show prayer and food just like they would be in life just illustrated. The actual terms and language are used with pronunciation help. There are parties and presents and just happy people celebrating together. This is a sacred yet beautiful holiday that Katz describes.
The age appropriateness of this book is k-2nd because the words are not difficult to understand and the pictures support the words very well. Students in second grade could even read this book to each other.

[Britteny Gilge · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Ramadan can be used to educate children about a holiday that Muslims celebrate. Educating children on different religions, beliefs, and traditions is important to expand their knowledge and help them understand others that might be different from themselves. I really like that this book not only was interesting by also the author let us know how to pronounce words that we might not be used to seeing. The pictures are very colorful and appealing and give us detail about what Muslims wear and what their practices look like. This book was well written and illustrated and gave a great look into the traditions that the Muslims have for Ramadan. My favorite picture was the one of the mosque where they go to pray. This picture portrays such a beautiful place. The cool thing about this story is that is shows how this practice brings people together and we see that also in the picture by a group of people standing outside of the mosque.

[Courtney Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

My First Ramadan by Karen Katz, tells a simple story of the Muslim celebration of Ramadan. Katz describes the celebration from beginning to end (new moon to new moon), teaching about when it begins, what goes on during Ramadan (fasting and praying), and what happens at the end (presents and celebrations).
The illustrator is not specified, but they are beautiful drawings and paintings of beautiful people and the life that goes on during Ramadan.
I would recommend this book for kindergartners and first graders because it is a very simple story and describes Ramadan in a way that children of this age can understand.
I gave this book four stars because I enjoyed the simplicity of it and the illustrations. I think it is a great way to explain Ramadan to almost anyone without having to give a long explanation.

[Yahya Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I start reading this book, it reminds me my childhood. As a Muslim child, when I was 8 or 9 years old, I had the exactly the same feelings during Ramadan month. I and my family members woke up at night, and ate something together and we were praying together. It is a really good book for Muslim students to learn the importance of Ramadan. Also, it is a good resource for teaching about religious in the class with pictures.

[Jasmine Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading children's book about different cultures and holidays because it goes to show that children can learn about different cultures as well and it can be fun to learn about them. Ramadan is a holiday that I know very well because my big sister is Muslim and a lot of my coworkers are Muslim as well. This is a great book to read to children. They need to learn to be diverse and expand their horizons as far as other religions and cultures.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical of other Katz books, this one if filled with large headed cartoon people and explores a type of diversity--the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. The book explains to young children what the holiday is about and the typical practices. It also shares Arabic words such as suhoor which describes the large breakfast that is made each morning before dawn and iftar, the evening meal.

[Cara Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Share with your child the traditions of Ramadan, from the beginning of the celebration to the end. The story includes colorful illustrations and helpful pronunciation guides (sprinkled throughout the text), along with the descriptions of meals, prayer times, gatherings, and beliefs. The use of collage and mixed media, along with a diverse color palate, add to the story.

[Janet Luch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book could be classified as a picture book, I am calling it a realistic fiction because of the outstanding way it explains the meaning of vocabulary words associated with Ramadan, such as suhoor, fajr and Eid al-Fitr. The pictures and meanings of the words and the reason for fasting in Ramadan will be clear to young children whether they are Muslim or not.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book to introduce kids to how Muslims celebrate their religious holidays, in this case Ramadan. This book is suitable for ages 3-8.

[Tuyet Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I ever read about Muslim. I think it is a great book to introduce student to Muslim's Holiday.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at story time at the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC in July 2012.

[Dubovoyalena]

This is a great book for young learners to explore different cultures. About a book who is celebrating his first Ramadan and learning along the way the meaning for the holiday.

[Ummkhalil]

I read this boom to my little ones...they liked it but I had to change some of the wording in it as I read the book to them, like the words magic and music.

[Orsayor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a Children's book has me looking up further information on a topic.