Islamic Festivals (Celebrate (Heinemann)) [Library Binding]

Khadijah Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Celebrate (Heinemann)

Introduces the festivals celebrated in the Islamic faith.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--Two books that promise a great deal, but deliver little. Islamic Festivals is not just about celebrations; it also discusses the Koran, daily and weekly worship, and the life of Muhammad. However, the text is stodgy and complex. Knight fails to indicate the relative importance of the festivals, and her omissions are numerous--even a question cited on the back cover isn't answered. A. A. Ahsan's Muslim Festivals (Rourke, 1987; o.p.) is far more informative and better organized. Suhaib Ghazi's Ramadan (Holiday, 1996) and Dianne MacMillan's Ramadan and Id al-Fitr (Enslow, 1994) provide more details on this significant celebration. Sharukh Husain's What Do We Know About Islam? (Peter Bedrick, 1997) covers major festivals and much of the other material found in Knight's title, and is easier to comprehend. Christian Festivals focuses primarily on Christmas and Easter; Thompson also mentions Sundays, Pentecost, Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving (which--at least in the U.S.--is not strictly a Christian holiday), and All Saints' Day. The book is simplistic and poorly written. Although a few words have been changed to appeal to an American audience, the original British emphasis (and bias) is glaring. Most of this material can be readily found in other books on holidays or individual denominations.

Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 48 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann Library (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0431069646
• ISBN-13: 978-0431069647
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,864,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An AWAIR Pick, April 21, 2011

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AWAIR Reviews (Berkeley, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islamic Festivals Pb (Celebrate) (Paperback)

At last, a wonderful and authentic explanation of the Islamic holy days. Each two-page spread looks at a particular topic - 18 in all - with helpful photographs and sidebar explanations: Lunar Phases, Hadith, Prayer, The Prophet's Birthday, The Night of Power, The Night Journey, 'Id-al-Fitr, 'Id-al-Adha, Jum'ah - are just some of the topics explored. Eleven-year-old Hussain and eight-year-old Fatimah are our storytellers and guides. Very thorough and authoritatively told. Includes a glossary. We only wish they had translated the Arabic word 'Allah' into English - it means 'God'!

Book excerpt:

"When you get a new video or computer game, you read the instructions carefully to find out everything it can do, so that you can play it well. Muslims read the Koran to find out Allah's instructions about how to live a good life. Allah created us so He understands what we need to know and do to be happy and successful." - Hussain, age 10.

4th-7th - social studies/humanities