Yo Soy Muslim
A Father's Letter to His Daughter
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A Huffington Post Most Powerful Children’s Book of 2017
From Muslim and Latino poet Mark Gonzales comes a touching and lyrical picture book about a parent who encourages their child to find joy and pride in all aspects of their multicultural identity.
Dear little one,
…know you are wondrous.
A child of crescent moons,
a builder of mosques,
a descendant of brilliance,
an ancestor in training.
Written as a letter from a father to his daughter, Yo Soy Muslim is a celebration of social harmony and multicultural identities. The vivid and elegant verse, accompanied by magical and vibrant illustrations, highlights the diversity of the Muslim community as well as Indigenous identity. A literary journey of discovery and wonder, Yo Soy Muslim is sure to inspire adults and children alike.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Newcomer Gonzales, a Latino poet and convert to Islam, invites his daughter to take pride in her identity and heritage as a "child of crescent moons/ a builder of mosques,/ a descendent of brilliance,/ an ancestor in training." Addressing, by extension, all Spanish-speaking Muslim youth a growing group in the U.S. and anticipating adversity at a time when hostility toward Muslims is on the rise, he exhorts readers to stay strong when people "will not smile at you": "Tell them this: Yo soy Muslim./ I am from Allah, angels,/ and a place almost as old as time." Iranian artist Amini's (Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns) folk-art-style human figures have deep, soulful eyes that convey compassion. Realistic urban scenes give way to mythical fantasies: in one, the girl flies with a flock of swans above the minarets of a mosque. This intensely personal book is not meant as an introduction to Islam; instead, it speaks directly to Muslim children growing up in a place where they may be marked as different children in need of a voice to recognize and speak for them. Ages 4 8.
