ISLAMIC MANNERS ACTIVITY BOOK

Coloring pages, connect-the-dot pictures, mazes and educational exercises fill this book that deals with many different topics, including common courtesy, animals and modes of transportation.

Typical coloring-book black line drawings showing children and families in different regions, some wearing traditional clothing and some wearing contemporary outfits, testifying to the omnipresence of Islam. All females are shown wearing hijab, except for the school bullies shown waiting to catch Amira in one maze and the mother and girls in a family whose members “don’t know much about Islamic manners.” The most useful parts of the book are the language lessons: one with the word “welcome” in 10 languages and other pages with Arabic words and expressions with English transliterations and Arabic calligraphy. (These words connect to a cloze activity in which a child has to insert the correct word in different sentences, a clearly didactic exercise.) There are also related cards with English definitions, transliterations and Arabic lettering. These cards, including words such as jazakalla, “We thank others by saying this (may Allah reward you),” can be cut out and used for matching games. While not useful for libraries, Muslim parents seeking educational materials on Islam and the Arabic language may want to purchase this for their children. There is even a “Certificate of Achievement.”

Candy-coated, old-fashioned educational coloring book for a very specific audience.