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Celebrating Ramadan
Follows Ibraham's family through the month of praying and fasting until the feast and celebration of Eid al'Fitr that ends Ramadan, explaining the basic beliefs of Islam and the life of the Prophet Muhammad as well as offering an intimate look at a devout Islamic family. Reprint.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 10, 2009
This informational book follows Ibraheem, a fourth grade boy from New Jersey as he celebrates Ramadan. Ibraheem and his family are Muslim, which means they practice the religion of Islam. His mother is from Egypt and his father is from Bosnia. Throughout the month of Ramadan, Ibraheem and his family fast during the daylight hours. They also spend time praying to Allah (God), read the Qur’an, and donate to the poor. The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the Eid al-Fitr, which means the Feast of the Fast-Breaking. To determine when the fasting is over, Muslims look for the new moon. Only a new moon can signal the end of Ramadan. During the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, many Muslims give gifts, read the Qur’an, and spend time with family. They are thankful for the gifs that God has given them.
This book does a great job of pointing out the diversity of Muslims around the world and the way they celebrate Ramadan. I was surprised with the map that showed all of the countries in which Islam is the dominant religion. Obviously not all people from these countries are Muslim, but it was interesting to see just how many countries were included. I also enjoyed how this book shows actual photographs of Ibraheem and his family as they practice the traditions of Ramadan. Readers see Ibraheem reading the Qur’an, following the five steps of prayer at home, and eating traditional food with his family. When Ibraheem goes to the place of prayer called the masjid, readers can see a diverse group of people praying together. Again, this emphasizes that Muslims are from all over the world, they look different. When readers see this, perhaps it could make them think about some stereotypes they may have heard before reading. This book would be especially beneficial for teachers or students who have Muslim children in class. It could spark conversation on the celebrations of different religions and variances within those religions. Learning about other people’s cultures makes everyone feel more comfortable and accepted in the classroom. Ages 9-12.
This book does a great job of pointing out the diversity of Muslims around the world and the way they celebrate Ramadan. I was surprised with the map that showed all of the countries in which Islam is the dominant religion. Obviously not all people from these countries are Muslim, but it was interesting to see just how many countries were included. I also enjoyed how this book shows actual photographs of Ibraheem and his family as they practice the traditions of Ramadan. Readers see Ibraheem reading the Qur’an, following the five steps of prayer at home, and eating traditional food with his family. When Ibraheem goes to the place of prayer called the masjid, readers can see a diverse group of people praying together. Again, this emphasizes that Muslims are from all over the world, they look different. When readers see this, perhaps it could make them think about some stereotypes they may have heard before reading. This book would be especially beneficial for teachers or students who have Muslim children in class. It could spark conversation on the celebrations of different religions and variances within those religions. Learning about other people’s cultures makes everyone feel more comfortable and accepted in the classroom. Ages 9-12.
November 16, 2009
Meet Ibraheem. He is in the fourth grade and lives in New Jersey. Ibraheem is Muslim. Ibraheem goes to Islamic school, where he learns math, science, social studies, and English. He also learns to read and write in Arabic, and studies Islam.
For one month called Ramadan, all adult Muslims fast during the daylight hours. Ibraheem has been fasting since he was six years old. He helps his grandmother bake cookies for the celebration at the end of Ramadan, called Eid.
This book explains a lot about the Islamic religion and the celebration of Ramadan. The religious information is difficult to comprehend without some background knowledge of the Islam faith. Students will require a lot of scaffolding in order to make sense of it. The rest of the book can be easily read and understood by fourth or fifth grade students.
I learned a lot about the Muslim culture, and enjoyed the way the book followed one family through the month of Ramadan.
For one month called Ramadan, all adult Muslims fast during the daylight hours. Ibraheem has been fasting since he was six years old. He helps his grandmother bake cookies for the celebration at the end of Ramadan, called Eid.
This book explains a lot about the Islamic religion and the celebration of Ramadan. The religious information is difficult to comprehend without some background knowledge of the Islam faith. Students will require a lot of scaffolding in order to make sense of it. The rest of the book can be easily read and understood by fourth or fifth grade students.
I learned a lot about the Muslim culture, and enjoyed the way the book followed one family through the month of Ramadan.
March 6, 2013
When I was picking up my last pile of children's books from my list (again a nod of thanks to the head Librarian of the Pittsfield Library in Maine, for setting me on this ride) I saw this book on display in the children's room. It seemed to me a more than worthy book to take out and read, and it was. Learning about other cultures and their beliefs is a great thing at any age and this is a wonderful book that follows a young man named Ibraheem (ib-rah-HEEM) and his family from the start of Ramadan to the end, a month of praying and fasting, ending with Eid al-Fitr.
Ibraheem and his family are Muslim Americans that live in New Jersey.
I recommend this book for all ages. For many many reasons.
It was a pleasant learning experience and for myself not only did I learn things that I didn't know, I now need to make Ghorayyibah!
Ibraheem and his family are Muslim Americans that live in New Jersey.
I recommend this book for all ages. For many many reasons.
It was a pleasant learning experience and for myself not only did I learn things that I didn't know, I now need to make Ghorayyibah!
May 14, 2022
Checked out 8 juvenile books about Ramadan and it is in my top two favorites. Rather than dryly talking about the subject, we are introduced to Ibraheem and his family and get a snapshot of American muslim life during Ramadan. As an American born and raised in a Christian household, it was nice getting a better look inside the life of a family that was raised Muslim. My husband is from Egypt and he was pleased to see the Ghorayyibah recipe and shared the memory of helping his mother make these cookies.
May 27, 2018
A bit dry but I learned a lot!
May 13, 2021
Excellent explanation of Ramadan and the Muslim religion.
July 26, 2010
Celebrating Ramadan By: Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
A fourth grader form Princeton, NJ named Ibraheem takes you through his life as a Muslim. The story begins with the five pillars of Islam, and explains where the majority of Muslims live. Next, the author explains how Ibraheem prays five times a day, and lists parts of the prayers. The book goes on to talk about The Qur’an, Ramadan, and prayer.
This is a nonfiction picture book for ages 9-13. There is a glossary at the end of the book that details many of the words that students might not know. The picture book is a combination of photos of Ibraheem and his family and text. I would recommend that this book be used to help students with celebration research projects. In second grade we study holidays and celebrations around the world, so this text could be useful for students to learn more about Ramadan. The only potential controversy could be that it is very biased. Some of the text is more opinion then fact. The prayers, maps, and real pictures would help students gain a better understanding of Ramadan and its significance in the Muslim religion. I would recommend this text be read with other holiday or celebration books at a similar reading level. I feel that this text has a lot of useful information to give younger students a window into another culture, but there were many biased statements. I would possibly to this as a read aloud so that we could focus on the best written parts of the text instead of the whole book.
A fourth grader form Princeton, NJ named Ibraheem takes you through his life as a Muslim. The story begins with the five pillars of Islam, and explains where the majority of Muslims live. Next, the author explains how Ibraheem prays five times a day, and lists parts of the prayers. The book goes on to talk about The Qur’an, Ramadan, and prayer.
This is a nonfiction picture book for ages 9-13. There is a glossary at the end of the book that details many of the words that students might not know. The picture book is a combination of photos of Ibraheem and his family and text. I would recommend that this book be used to help students with celebration research projects. In second grade we study holidays and celebrations around the world, so this text could be useful for students to learn more about Ramadan. The only potential controversy could be that it is very biased. Some of the text is more opinion then fact. The prayers, maps, and real pictures would help students gain a better understanding of Ramadan and its significance in the Muslim religion. I would recommend this text be read with other holiday or celebration books at a similar reading level. I feel that this text has a lot of useful information to give younger students a window into another culture, but there were many biased statements. I would possibly to this as a read aloud so that we could focus on the best written parts of the text instead of the whole book.
October 18, 2013
This is a biography of Ibraheem who is a fourth grade Muslim boy living in Princeton, New Jersey. Like many Muslims, he and his family pray to Allah five times a day at the masjid near located in near his house. The book says that Muslims wash their hands, face, and feet before their prayer, and males pray in the front of the room facing in the direction of Makkah, Saudi Arabia while females pray in a separate area. Although Muslims pray separately according to their gender identities, they believe that everyone regardless of his or her economic status or age differences is equal before Allah. Then this book explains about the Revelations of Muhammad who started the Islam, the Korean, and the celebration of Ramadan. And one of the Ibraheem’s favorite events during Ramadan is called Itekaf when he and his classmates totally focus on the worship of Allah. I thought this book can help students to understand the culture of Islam because their culture is told accurately, and the story includes realistic and convincing characters. As a teacher, I would tell students to write the words that they do not know and write the definitions of them. After writing the definitions, I will tell my students to write sentences using those new vocabularies for their literacy skills.
June 28, 2012
The best thing about children's books about nonfiction is that they keep it simple and get straight to the point, plus lots of color. This book was absolutely wonderful, I hope every school has a copy because it would help everyone understand their fellow muslim students and neighbors. The book covers the basic and provides one boy and family's experience of this special holiday. Simple and very informative, easy to understand, and makes me look forward to fasting
February 17, 2009
Celebrating Ramadan by Diane Hoyt-Migdale provides readers with information about Ramadan. This informational text offers children an inside perspective into the details of Ramada, its history and how it is celebrated. Large and colorful photographs are plentiful and the text structure sets readers up for success at comprehension.
November 15, 2011
From having visited many Muslim countries over the years- I already knew that Ramadan is an important month because it marks when Muhammad began to recite teachings of the Qur'an. However, this book was a lovely insight into the daily lives of families following the Muslim faith. This is a very nice book for anyone!!!!!
June 10, 2014
Told from the viewpoint of Ibraheem and his family, this traces the traditions during the holy month of Ramadan. The text is a bit advanced, but the colorful maps, photographs, and sidebars may draw readers in. It begins with a general overview of Islam, and then moves toward a more specific discussion of fasting, prayer, and history.
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April 27, 2016Through the eyes of Ibraheem, a 9-year-old Muslim boy (2001), we learn about celebrations during Ramadan, a time to express faith in God and amend bad relationships with others. The book has the features of any non-fiction book, but its personal touch helps me understand how Muslims in America celebrate Ramadan.
September 29, 2011
This is another good book to explain to children what Ramadan is. It uses real pictures of many different situations and rituals that Ibraheem experiences during a day of Ramadan. It follows a fourth grade student, so it would be really good for a fourth or fifth grade class.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews