Salaam: A Muslim American Boy's Story
Kindergarten-Grade 3–A gentle and informative look at a Muslim-American boy and the way he practices his faith. The book does a good job of explaining each of the Five Pillars of Islam, even though they are not discussed in numerical order. Good-quality black-and-white photos enhance the presentation and effectively show the warmth of Imran's family life. The discussion ofhijab(the headscarves worn by Muslim women) is very brief, in part because Imran's mother doesn't wear one regularly. Not all Muslim Americans would agree that wearing ahijabis a choice. Since this is a very visible part of the Muslim faith, it is almost certainly one that children will have more questions about. A helpful glossary with a pronunciation guide and some additional information about the Five Pillars is appended. While not an essential purchase, this is an important book because of the simplicity of the text and because it tackles the current climate of fear toward Muslims.–Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.