Book Description
for The Masjid Kamal Loves by Ashley Franklin and Aaliya Jaleel
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
“This is the masjid Kamal loves. / These are the friends / Who come to the masjid Kamal loves. … These are the feet / That wiggled in shoes / That belong to the Friends / Who come to the masjid Kamal loves.” A cumulative narrative patterned on “The House That Jack Built” details a brown-skinned Muslim boy’s time at the masjid for Jumu’ah prayer. But Kamal’s time at the masjid is not just about prayer; it’s about the learning that takes place in the context of this supportive community through the teaching of the Imam and the modeling of other adults. It’s also about the joyful sense of community itself. An author’s note talks more about these elements in an affirming, child-centered story set against digital illustrations with deep hues that show a diverse Muslim community. (Ages 4-7)
CCBC Choices 2024. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2024. Used with permission.