New Muslim Board Books
Dee, Noor H. “Good Little Deeds” series. Illus. by Iput. Islamic Foundation, 2019/March 2020. [20p.] $9.95 each.
I Say Bismillah. 978-0-86037-633-0.
I Say Mashallah. 978-0-86037-643-9.
I Say As-Salamu ‘Alaykum. 978-0-86037-648-4.
I Say Alhamdulillah. 978-0-86037-638-5.
Siblings Nabil and Noura practice saying certain phrases to honor God and their Muslim faith in this series. In one they say “Bismillah,” which means “In the name of God” and is a form of “thank you” when their mother makes them cupcakes. In another, Father teaches them to say “Mashallah” when they see something beautiful in nature. Each special phrase is written in Arabic on the inside final page, along with the transliteration and English translation.
The bright colors of the artwork, using various colored backgrounds, will attract readers who will count the cupcakes and name the various colors depicted. The book also asks readers to count or name various things in the illustrations. The siblings have light skin and dark hair. A nice introduction to Islamic customs for very young children.
Pop-up and Flap Board Books
Arrhenius, Ingela P. “Where’s The…” series. Nosy Crow, 2020. [10p.] $8.99 each.
Where’s the Chick? 978-1-5362-0751-4.
Where’s the Narwhal? 978-1-5362-0950-1.
With more than a dozen books, this series is for the youngest child. Five spreads depict various animals for the child to count, revealing an animal behind a flap made of felt fabric. The final spreads always ask “Where are you?” and have a mylar mirror. Not particularly innovative but useful, with bright bold graphic illustrations. Narwhal features ocean creatures, while Chick offers a look at farm animals.
Davies, Benji. Bizzy Bear Train Engineer. Nosy Crow, 2020. [8p.] $7.99. 978-1-5362-0985-3.
Eighteen different sturdy board books make up this series, all with sliders and other moveable parts. Bizzy Bear is shown driving a locomotive filled with animals traveling to an outdoor party. The color cartoon artwork and rhyming text work well and are very traditional. Buy if the others were popular.
McEwen, Katharine. “Who’s Hiding?…” series. Nosy Crow, 2020. [10p.] $9.99 each.
Who’s Hiding on the River? 978-1-5362-0821-4.
Who’s Hiding in the Woods? 978-1-5362-0820-7.
This series of informational board books feature animals sharing a habitat, such as a river or a forest. Each of the five spreads show an illustration of part of that habitat such as a waterfall or shoreline area, with small flaps that open to reveal an animal. The text has two levels: simple sentences showing the area, followed by the phrase “Who’s hiding here?” which invites audience participation. The other level is a small print phrase under each flap, with facts on the animal depicted. The “Woods” title shows the forest in all four seasons, adding an element of information. This series will appeal to toddlers and emergent readers and is sure to be popular.
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