Zahra's Blessing: A Ramadan Story
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-04-11 06:52:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Shirin Shamsi
- ISBN：1646864948
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Zahra hugs her cherished teddy bear and prays that Ramadan will bring her a longed-for sister。 When her bear subsequently goes missing， Zahra finds herself grappling with intense feelings of loss。 Over the next few weeks， as she volunteers with her mother at a local shelter for asylum seekers， Zahra befriends a displaced child， resulting in a newfound sense of gratitude and an unexpected Ramadan blessing。
Reviews
Eve
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Utilizing the misplacement of a much-loved childhood item as a vehicle to help children understand the desolation of loss is a very shrewd device by the author。 All children can identify with this experience。 Without creating fear， the author garners empathy in this way for Zahra's circumstance and Haleema's displacement。All picture book writers must select their words precisely since only limited text is available。 However， the author of this book is particularly skillful in her choices。 Rich Utilizing the misplacement of a much-loved childhood item as a vehicle to help children understand the desolation of loss is a very shrewd device by the author。 All children can identify with this experience。 Without creating fear， the author garners empathy in this way for Zahra's circumstance and Haleema's displacement。All picture book writers must select their words precisely since only limited text is available。 However， the author of this book is particularly skillful in her choices。 Rich language and clever turns of phrases abound in this story。 Here are just a few marvelous examples。 "The silver moon hung like a sideways smile。" "A prayer rose from Zahra's heart like a sigh and floated into the starry night。""Her heart fluttered between sadness and hope。""Haleema's eyes held a sadness deeper than an ocean。""Eid Day dawned dazzling bright。""And the silver sliver of moon winked down on them。"The author seamlessly weaves the meaning and traditions of Ramadan into the story， teaching the reader about this significant Muslim holiday。 During Ramadan， fasting is used as a way to connect with God。 This is similar to the Jewish tradition of fasting during Yom Kippur （Day of Atonement） to focus on one's relationship with God。 Also， during Ramadan， there is heightened mindfulness on avoiding hurtful words and actions。 Again， very similar to the practice of Jews， during their High Holy Days， asking for forgiveness for any hurt caused， intentional or not。 It is striking how these two religions share so many of the same values！How perfect that this book came out at a time when it is such a relevant and valuable tool。 There are so many displaced people from Afghanistan and Ukraine， and this book will nurture empathy for them in so many readers！ 。。。more
The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street
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This is a beautiful depiction of Ramadan， a celebration of family and of blessing others。 Zahra is wishing for a sister as a blessing all through Ramadan and she also is dealing with the fact that she misplaced her dear Teddy。 She prays for teddy's return and the blessing of a sister all the while participating in generous acts of kindness towards others。 We see her family generously share their gifts with others （donating clothing， volunteering at a local shelter） and Zahra learns the value of This is a beautiful depiction of Ramadan， a celebration of family and of blessing others。 Zahra is wishing for a sister as a blessing all through Ramadan and she also is dealing with the fact that she misplaced her dear Teddy。 She prays for teddy's return and the blessing of a sister all the while participating in generous acts of kindness towards others。 We see her family generously share their gifts with others （donating clothing， volunteering at a local shelter） and Zahra learns the value of giving back and empathy。 In the end， Zahra gets both her prayers answered， as her family expands through adopting a refugee girl （who just so happens to have found Teddy in the clothing donation box Zahra's mother had taken to the shelter）。 It's full circle and children will feel all the emotions along with Zahra。 Readers unfamiliar with Muslim traditions will learn words throughout the text like iftar and Insha'Allah and Eid and will witness practices like fasting and prayer。 The back of the book contains more detail about these traditions after the narrative ends。The illustrations are stunning！ Engaging with rich tones and they evoke a lot of the emotions of the narrative quite well。 So happy to have read this and shared it with my children！***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight。 Opinions are my own。 。。。more
Aamina
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Really needed topic。。。 loved this book <3
Sidra Khan
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I LOVED the book！ I would highly recommend it for children of all ages as well as adults。 I connected to Zahra's Blessing in so many ways， it was insightful as well as reflective。 I learned so much from the beautiful story that left my heart feeling so full。 The Illustrations are on another level， every page is filled with so much beautiful art which leaves the eyes mesmerized。 I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did！ I look forward to reading more from the author :） I LOVED the book！ I would highly recommend it for children of all ages as well as adults。 I connected to Zahra's Blessing in so many ways， it was insightful as well as reflective。 I learned so much from the beautiful story that left my heart feeling so full。 The Illustrations are on another level， every page is filled with so much beautiful art which leaves the eyes mesmerized。 I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did！ I look forward to reading more from the author :） 。。。more
Natalia Paruzel-Gibson
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Zahra's Blessing: A Ramadan Story weaves together the universal themes of true fulfillment when giving， the power of family ties and the strength of community， while also being educational about the customs and traditions surrounding Ramadan。 While Shirin Shamsi's words echo with heartfelt poetry， the vibrant illustrations capture the spirit of this joyous Muslim celebration。 A wonderful addition to every child's library！ Zahra's Blessing: A Ramadan Story weaves together the universal themes of true fulfillment when giving， the power of family ties and the strength of community， while also being educational about the customs and traditions surrounding Ramadan。 While Shirin Shamsi's words echo with heartfelt poetry， the vibrant illustrations capture the spirit of this joyous Muslim celebration。 A wonderful addition to every child's library！ 。。。more
Ellen Leventhal
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As someone who enjoys learning about other people's cultures， this book grabbed me immediately。 Shamsi's beautifully written text meshed with Mirza's gorgeous art makes this book a standout on my bookshelf。 This is the story of Zahra， who hopes Ramadan will return her missing Teddy and possibly even bring her a sister。 Without giving too much away， the ending will make your heart smile。 I highly recommend this book for children of all cultures。 As someone who enjoys learning about other people's cultures， this book grabbed me immediately。 Shamsi's beautifully written text meshed with Mirza's gorgeous art makes this book a standout on my bookshelf。 This is the story of Zahra， who hopes Ramadan will return her missing Teddy and possibly even bring her a sister。 Without giving too much away， the ending will make your heart smile。 I highly recommend this book for children of all cultures。 。。。more
Gayatri Sethi Desi Book Aunty
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I’m overjoyed that this eagerly anticipated book is in my hands！ I’m moved to tears & in absolute awe。 I urge us all to access copies for reading， sharing & gifting！🌟This story is truly a blessing！ It is endearing， heartfelt & wraps itself around readers like a warm embrace。💫 It unfolds during Ramadan - Eid & makes for a gifting treasure during the holy season。✨The illustrations are spectacular。 Each page pops with delightful cultural details。 Swipe to see the Eid Mubarak page that captivated my I’m overjoyed that this eagerly anticipated book is in my hands！ I’m moved to tears & in absolute awe。 I urge us all to access copies for reading， sharing & gifting！🌟This story is truly a blessing！ It is endearing， heartfelt & wraps itself around readers like a warm embrace。💫 It unfolds during Ramadan - Eid & makes for a gifting treasure during the holy season。✨The illustrations are spectacular。 Each page pops with delightful cultural details。 Swipe to see the Eid Mubarak page that captivated my heart。 🌙💜Excerpt from the author’s note:“I wanted to write a special Ramadan story for my children。 My grandparents were refugees when my mother was a child， so I wanted to include the theme of refugees and the importance of giving up others。” 。。。more
Diane
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I loved ZAHRA'S BLESSING！ I especially love the characters--I always like to encounter， in books， people I'd love to know in real life。 I love how Zahra's mother gives away a jacket， thinking of people who need it more than she does， even though she loves the jacket。 Such a beautiful model of unselfish giving。 I feel for Zahra， missing her lost teddy bear， and most kids will relate to that feeling。 This feeling then helps her understand the feelings of refugees she meets at a shelter--they have I loved ZAHRA'S BLESSING！ I especially love the characters--I always like to encounter， in books， people I'd love to know in real life。 I love how Zahra's mother gives away a jacket， thinking of people who need it more than she does， even though she loves the jacket。 Such a beautiful model of unselfish giving。 I feel for Zahra， missing her lost teddy bear， and most kids will relate to that feeling。 This feeling then helps her understand the feelings of refugees she meets at a shelter--they have lost everything--and I love her growing friendship with Haleema， who is living at the shelter。 It's poignant when Zahra wishes she had Teddy back--so she could give him to Haleema。 I had a lump in my throat--I love books that show goodness。 I loved learning about Ramadan， and the information at the back about displacement and shelters was excellent， as well。 This book was beautiful， engrossing， and helpful。 。。。more
Cindy Schrauben
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Such a timely story！ This beautiful story of wantings and blessings is presented in a such a gentle， comforting manner -- allowing for discussion of empathy and generosity。 Absolutely beautiful。 The backmatter provides vocabulary to extend learning beyond the text。
Songju Daemicke
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A heartwarming story with an important message！ What is a true blessing？！ This book covers several topics， including siblings， loss， giving， and the Ramadan tradition with lyrical language。 The illustrations are colorful and lovely。 The back matter is very informative。 Highly recommended。
M。O。 Yuksel
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A beautiful and lyrical story combining the universal themes of sibling/family love， caring for the less fortunate， empathy， compassion， and longing for a lost toy， while also introducing readers to Ramadan and Eid。 Shirin Shamsi’s lyrical writing will capture your heart and imagination starting with the first sentence: “The silver moon hung like a sideways smile。” And pull at your heartstrings at the surprise ending。The illustrations are rich and colorful， and a perfect pairing with the text。 T A beautiful and lyrical story combining the universal themes of sibling/family love， caring for the less fortunate， empathy， compassion， and longing for a lost toy， while also introducing readers to Ramadan and Eid。 Shirin Shamsi’s lyrical writing will capture your heart and imagination starting with the first sentence: “The silver moon hung like a sideways smile。” And pull at your heartstrings at the surprise ending。The illustrations are rich and colorful， and a perfect pairing with the text。 The back matter includes information about Ramadan， fasting， Eid， displacement， shelters， and foster care。 A wonderful book that is a must for every home， library， and classroom！ 。。。more
Shifa S
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If you are going to invest in one new book this Ramadan， it should be this one！！！！❤️❤️Genre: Picture BookScreening: the prayer scene is shown as the mother and father praying next to each other which isn’t really accurate IslamicallyWhat a gorgeous book from @barefootbooks by @shirinshamsi and illustrated by @manalmorzaZahra really wants a little sister， and Ramadan seems like the perfect time to ask for that blessing！ But when she loses her Teddy as her mother is packing away clothes to give to If you are going to invest in one new book this Ramadan， it should be this one！！！！❤️❤️Genre: Picture BookScreening: the prayer scene is shown as the mother and father praying next to each other which isn’t really accurate IslamicallyWhat a gorgeous book from @barefootbooks by @shirinshamsi and illustrated by @manalmorzaZahra really wants a little sister， and Ramadan seems like the perfect time to ask for that blessing！ But when she loses her Teddy as her mother is packing away clothes to give to the poor， Zahra is upset。 When she goes with her parents to volunteer at the shelter， she meets a little girl there that makes her wish she had Teddy， just so she can share him to cheer her up。 By Eid time， Zahra learns that sometimes， Ramadan prayers come true in the most unexpected and beautiful ways…Oh wow， I don’t want to spoil this book， but the twist at the end had me gasping and clutching my heart。 It was written so beautifully and it touched my heart。 It truly radiates the warmth of Ramadan and the way Ramadan is full of blessings， and it does so in such a deep and profound way。 The themes of family and care and love are so beautiful and important。 Again， I don’t want to spoil it but this is just a must have， and so relevant in todays times and amazingly written！！！Wow， also what absolutely gorgeous illustrations as well！ I felt like the house was a dollhouse and Zahra was an adorable doll！ This book is a beautiful addition to our Ramadan bookshelf❤️Def preorder and get your kids this beautiful Ramadan book！！！！ 。。。more
Betty
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The cover and illustrations throughout this book are gorgeous。 The story is simple but very sweet。 There are beautiful life lessons to be learned from the story。 First is that you receive blessings when you give， especially when you expect nothing in return。 I loved seeing Zahra’s family donate clothing and toys to a refugee center。 They also gave of their time to volunteer there。For non-Muslim children， the book is excellent for learning of other cultures。 Zahra awakens at the beginning of Rama The cover and illustrations throughout this book are gorgeous。 The story is simple but very sweet。 There are beautiful life lessons to be learned from the story。 First is that you receive blessings when you give， especially when you expect nothing in return。 I loved seeing Zahra’s family donate clothing and toys to a refugee center。 They also gave of their time to volunteer there。For non-Muslim children， the book is excellent for learning of other cultures。 Zahra awakens at the beginning of Ramadan and offers a prayer that she will get a sister。 The story shows her family giving to others， partaking of the iftar meal at sundown each day of Ramadan， and then the celebration of Eid at the end of Ramadan。 At the back of the book is information on Ramadan， fasting， Eid Al-Fitr， displacement， shelters， and foster care。I received an advance digital copy of the book。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Chantal Aurora
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This was such a beautiful story。 I loved the art。
Heather Stigall
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During this year’s Ramadan season， Zahra prays she will be blessed with a sister。 Then， when her beloved teddy bear goes missing， she adds finding Teddy to her prayers。 But when she befriends a young girl at a shelter for asylum seekers， Zahra finds herself more grateful than ever for her blessings。 This book combines several evergreen topics （child wishing for a sibling， loss of a loved toy， family traditions） with a holiday （Ramadan）， universal themes （gratitude， blessings， helping those less During this year’s Ramadan season， Zahra prays she will be blessed with a sister。 Then， when her beloved teddy bear goes missing， she adds finding Teddy to her prayers。 But when she befriends a young girl at a shelter for asylum seekers， Zahra finds herself more grateful than ever for her blessings。 This book combines several evergreen topics （child wishing for a sibling， loss of a loved toy， family traditions） with a holiday （Ramadan）， universal themes （gratitude， blessings， helping those less fortunate）， and does so with lyrical language， colorful illustrations， informative backmatter， and heart。 Lots of heart。 Bravo to Shamsi and Mirza for creating a beautiful book centered on a Muslim family and holiday that all children will enjoy。 。。。more
Shazia
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Zahra prays for two things during the holy month of Ramadan: to find her beloved Teddy， who is missing， and for her parents to give her a sister。 Throughout the pages of the story， which show the traditions and religious obligations during the month of Ramadan， Zahra also volunteers at a local shelter with her parents to help others in need—specifically Haleema， a young girl who Zahra quickly befriends。 The book ends with both of Zahra’s prayers coming true。Colorful illustrations are perfectly f Zahra prays for two things during the holy month of Ramadan: to find her beloved Teddy， who is missing， and for her parents to give her a sister。 Throughout the pages of the story， which show the traditions and religious obligations during the month of Ramadan， Zahra also volunteers at a local shelter with her parents to help others in need—specifically Haleema， a young girl who Zahra quickly befriends。 The book ends with both of Zahra’s prayers coming true。Colorful illustrations are perfectly framed to show the goings-on of the family during the holy month of Ramadan as they open their fast during their Iftar meal， pray， and read the Quran。 The back matter of the book includes definitions of different terms and concepts about Ramadan， but also about displacement， foster care， and shelters。 This book is a great opportunity for caregivers and teachers to begin a discussion about these topics， which can sometimes be quite difficult to have with children。 Check out my full review on SLJ's website at: https://www。slj。com/review/zahras-ble。。。 。。。more
Elia
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Zahra's story captured my heart。 The writing and richly colored illustrations are gorgeous and the story is poignant and full of compassion。 As an added bonus， the book will expose readers who are unfamiliar with Ramadan and Eid to some of the traditions associated with these holidays。 Zahra's story captured my heart。 The writing and richly colored illustrations are gorgeous and the story is poignant and full of compassion。 As an added bonus， the book will expose readers who are unfamiliar with Ramadan and Eid to some of the traditions associated with these holidays。 。。。more
Karen Yin
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The beginning and ending of Zahra's Blessing gave me chills。 The story itself is a beautiful blessing， weaving together yearning， loss， and compassion from a child's point of view。 The lyrical text is enrobed by the deep jewel tones of the art， an altogether magical effect。 Another wonderful book from Barefoot Books！ The beginning and ending of Zahra's Blessing gave me chills。 The story itself is a beautiful blessing， weaving together yearning， loss， and compassion from a child's point of view。 The lyrical text is enrobed by the deep jewel tones of the art， an altogether magical effect。 Another wonderful book from Barefoot Books！ 。。。more
Shaimaa
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"They did not need to search for blessings， for blessings came from all around。'Thank you Edelweiss+ and Barefoot Books for providing an e-ARC for this book。it was simple and sweet。 "They did not need to search for blessings， for blessings came from all around。'Thank you Edelweiss+ and Barefoot Books for providing an e-ARC for this book。it was simple and sweet。 。。。more
Tina Shepardson
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I am grateful for the chance to read an ARC copy。 This beautiful and timeless story holds the universal theme of wishing for a sibling and learning the value that blessings exist in life all around you especially when you focus on others rather than yourself。 The author shows us so beautifully how family traditions and community service are excellent ways to achieve this。 There is rich back matter to teach， enrich， and inspire readers on core concepts and traditions of Ramadan。 Beautifully writt I am grateful for the chance to read an ARC copy。 This beautiful and timeless story holds the universal theme of wishing for a sibling and learning the value that blessings exist in life all around you especially when you focus on others rather than yourself。 The author shows us so beautifully how family traditions and community service are excellent ways to achieve this。 There is rich back matter to teach， enrich， and inspire readers on core concepts and traditions of Ramadan。 Beautifully written and illustrated。 。。。more
Lisa Cloherty
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I was thrilled to read an ARC copy。 This is a universal story about longing for a sibling， caring for those in your community， and the comfort of family traditions。 This story teaches that when you open your heart and your home gifts come from unexpected places。 Wonderful back matter that teaches some core concepts of Ramadan。 A must read！
naga
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Thank you Edelweiss+ and Barefoot Books for providing me an e-ARC for this book。The illustrations are beautiful， and even though the story is simple it's still brought me to tears。 I loved it！ Thank you Edelweiss+ and Barefoot Books for providing me an e-ARC for this book。The illustrations are beautiful， and even though the story is simple it's still brought me to tears。 I loved it！ 。。。more
Annie Ice
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Thank you Edelweiss+ for this beautiful ARC picture book， I enjoyed it！This is so ADORABLE！ It's a kids' picture book about Zahra and Ramadan。 It celebrates little things and family。 Zahra wants a sister so much and she gets that。 I loved that they actually adopted one from the refugees which are so sweet！ I recommend this to all who want to buy some cute picture books for their kids， especially Muslim families as this is a MUST！ I'm gonna read this to my sisters for sure！ Also， why did everyone Thank you Edelweiss+ for this beautiful ARC picture book， I enjoyed it！This is so ADORABLE！ It's a kids' picture book about Zahra and Ramadan。 It celebrates little things and family。 Zahra wants a sister so much and she gets that。 I loved that they actually adopted one from the refugees which are so sweet！ I recommend this to all who want to buy some cute picture books for their kids， especially Muslim families as this is a MUST！ I'm gonna read this to my sisters for sure！ Also， why did everyone have freckles？ Cute。 。。。more
Kirin
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Just when you think all the Ramadan stories have been told， you flip open a new book， hold your breath as the stage of predictability is set， and alhumdulillah in this case， you squeal with delight when the big reveal in a children's book swept you up and surprised you too。 This 32 page richly illustrated story for elementary readers is heartfelt， culture rich， informative， and embracing。 The book doesn't dwell on the details of Ramadan， fasting， and Eid， but intentionally focuses on some of t Just when you think all the Ramadan stories have been told， you flip open a new book， hold your breath as the stage of predictability is set， and alhumdulillah in this case， you squeal with delight when the big reveal in a children's book swept you up and surprised you too。 This 32 page richly illustrated story for elementary readers is heartfelt， culture rich， informative， and embracing。 The book doesn't dwell on the details of Ramadan， fasting， and Eid， but intentionally focuses on some of the feelings， blessings， and acts that make the month extra special。Zahra looks up at the Ramadan moon as she hugs her teddy bear and sends a prayer up asking for a little sister。 The next day Mama is packing up beloved clothes， and ones that the family has out grown to be donated。 They discuss giving without hoping for anything in return and once again Zahra asks her mama for a little sister。 To which her mother lovingly replies that she should be patient。When Teddy goes missing， Zahra can't help but think a little sister would help her find it。 Iftar that night are all of Zahra's favorite desi foods and prayer after is her asking for a sister and Teddy。 The following day Mama and Zahra take the collected donation items to the shelter and Zahra realizes how sad she is about losing Teddy and these refugees have lost everything。Zahra spends time with the children at the shelter and gets to know them。 She wishes she could find Teddy to gift to a young girl named Haleema。 Some days Ramadan crawls slow， and other days fast。 The family reads Quran together， fasts during the day and prays at night。 The night before Eid， Zahra's dad whispers a secret to Zahra， one that she keeps close to her all through Eid prayers the next day。Not going to spoil it， although I'm sure you can guess what is going to happen。 There are hints in the remaining illustrations， but I think kids will enjoy not having the heads up。 The book concludes with some informational blurbs and information about the Muslim author and Muslim illustrator。I enjoyed the illustrations， they are bright and bold and festive and unique。 They compliment the text completely as they show praying， reading Quran， making duas， etc。 The text doesn't get preachy， it doesn't even mention Allah swt or God， but talks of prayer and blessings。 The combination of the text and illustrations， however， definitely convey a strong unapologetic Ramadan/Muslim centered story。 Overall， it is universal and warm and sweet， and both Muslim and non Muslim children would benefit from reading it。My only concern is the page that the family is making dua together， it seems odd that they are all sitting in a line as if they have just prayed， but not prayed with the dad in front and the mom and Zahra behind。 I read an electronic arc of the book and I look forward to purchasing a physical copy to add to my bookshelf。 。。。more
Andréa
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