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

Muhammad. Written and illustrated by Demi. (McElderry Books, 2003). Demi’s children’s biography of the Prophet is a welcome addition to the existing options. The story is respectfully and faithfully told, one that Muslims will recognize as the experience of the Prophet as they know and admire him.  The illustrations, in the form of Persian miniatures, are beautifully done (with the Prophet depicted in gold silhouette to avoid the Islamic prohibition on depicting him). This book might still have been better – the storytelling might have been a little more engaging and the vocabulary simpler – but I still recommend this book for its informative and beautifully illustrated presentation.