Book review: Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr

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The Holy month of Ramazan might be ending, but for Raya, every day matters because she enjoys both her suhoors and iftars with her parents. In Celebrations and Festivals’Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, you not only meet the young girl, but also learn how she spends her days during Ramazan and how she gets ready for Eid.

Written by Sara Khan and illustrated by Nadiyah Sultana, this colourful book lets you spend time with Raya and her family, who invite you on a journey that’s both spiritual and fun. She is the kind of friend who speaks her mind, celebrates everything and doesn’t shy from sharing new things. In fact, like a very good friend, she confesses in this book that she might be too young to fast, but that doesn’t stop her from doing at least 30 good deeds during the month.

So, what’s stopping you from celebrating Ramadan and welcoming Eidul Fitr like Raya? She tells her new friends, the readers, that although she likes to bake Ramazan cookies and drink milkshakes, she doesn’t snack during fasting hours because it might ruin others’ fasts. She also likes to lay the table for those who are fasting in her house, prepare the fruits and dates, and fill a jug with water. These are some good deeds everyone can do for those fasting in Ramazan.

With the help of illustrations, she explains that her parents have taught her to help those during this month who are less fortunate, by donating clothes we don’t wear and sharing food, whereas visiting the mosque for Taraweeh prayers and volunteering for a local soup kitchen will definitely make you feel better in these 30 days.

The narration is easy to understand, so you can share it with your friends and family, and encourage them to do good deeds so they can also have the opportunity to get closer to Allah. The Eid plans she lists in this book are also doable as they involve buying new clothes, applying henna on the hands and giving money to the poor. Spending time with parents, aunts, uncles and cousins makes every Eid magical, where Raya gets to play games, open presents and eat delicious food.

This bright and engaging picture book offers fun activities that parents and children can do together in the lead-up to the celebration, such as making a pop-up card and cookies. The fun facts at the end include the workings of the lunar calendar, a sketch of the prominent mosques of the Muslim world and a colourful quiz, giving you and your friends an opportunity to learn more about Allah and Islam.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 19th, 2026

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