Reading with Maryam – Discovering Muslim Children’s Books that Delight and Inspire

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors. By Hena Khan. Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. (Chronicle Books, 2012). The joyful rhymes and gorgeous illustrations in this newly published book jump off the page. “Orange is the color of my henna designs. They cover my hands in leafy vines.”  A visual feast, this book celebrates the beauty of Islamic arts, whether in the form of exquisite henna designs on a girl’s hands or the soaring gold minarets of a mosque. I love that the book introduces the youngest readers to elements of Muslim religious practice and cultures in the most natural and least didactic of ways.