Muslim Child

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

A young Muslim boy wants to sleep but cannot because he feels guilty
about taking a shortcut while praying. A non-Muslim boy thinks his
school is haunted because he keeps seeing a person moving through the
halls dressed from head to foot in flowing black robes. A young Muslim
girl wants to prove she is “growing up” by fasting like adults
during Ramadan. Another Muslim girl asks her mother to help sort out why
she can find two different birth years for the Prophet Muhammad. Two
sisters buy candy but forget to check whether there are pig products or
not in the ingredients. A young boy becomes separated from his parents
during a family trip to Mecca and is forced to rely on the kindness of
strangers for his comfort and protection.

These stories and poems by Rukhsana Khan provide an insider’s view to
life as a Muslim child in North American society. Considering that
Canada is now home to more than 350,000 Muslims, Khan’s book provides
a long-overdue eye opener to this large and vibrant community. Most
non-Muslim Canadians, for example, will be surprised to learn that the
word Moslem is an insult. They may be equally surprised to learn that
Arabs comprise only 20 percent of the Muslim world and that there are
blond, blue-eyed Muslims as well as those who are black and South-East
Asian. Skilfully written and liberally laced with gentle humor, this
book is a superb introduction to Islam and Muslim believers. Highly
recommended.