In the Purple Veil of Twilight with Natasha Khan Kazi

Full Episode description

Natasha Khan Kazi shares Moon’s Ramadan, a debut picture book and modern holiday classic capturing the magic and meaning of one of the world’s most joyful and important celebrations.

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Moon’s Ramadan by Natasha Khan Kazi

Page Length: 40 pages

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

With radiant and welcoming art, this debut picture book and modern holiday classic captures the magic and meaning of one of the world’s most joyful and important celebrations.

It’s Ramadan, the month of peace, and Moon watches over Ramadan traditions with excitement and longing in this sweetly illustrated debut.

In Egypt, India, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates, in Somalia, New Zealand and Indonesia, in Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, children and their families do good deeds in honor of those who have less.

Cleverly blending glimpses of different countries’ celebrations with the corresponding phases of the moon, Moon’s Ramadan makes Ramadan, one of the world’s most widely celebrated traditions, accessible and exciting for all readers. 

NOTABLE QUOTES:

(6:54) “[Ramadan] feels light because everyone’s on their best behavior, hopefully, and trying to be kind and trying to be patient.”

(8:07) “[Ramadan is] all about feeding the other person first” 

(10:06) “It was one of the top three best experiences in my life because small children are so…  They’re so open-minded. They’re so honest. And they felt the joy that our family felt. And they like, they just met us there in that place of joy.”

(10:38) “When I wrote and illustrated this book, I really hoped that other Muslim kids would feel proud, but I also wanted their friends, um, to support them and be even better friends.”

(17:46) “Veil means a cloth that covers the head. And I am surrounded by smart, strong Muslim women who wear something called the hijab, which is a veil that covers the head, including my mom.” 

(18:31) “Since I knew the story was gonna be from the point of view of Moon, I wonder what she was thinking in that moment when twilight was happening and she was slowly appearing to the world. She might feel like she’s a little veiled and that no one has yet noticed her, but she is noticing everyone.”

(20:55) “I feel in our heart that we are all, no matter what you believe, we are all different types of bread. And the bread itself is the same. I think we all believe in compassion and kindness, but it takes different forms and we practice that form in different ways.”

(21:52) “They say sometimes when you illustrate, you have to draw the world as you want to see it. And this was really one of those moments.”

(22:47) “Go and read other Ramadan books because every perspective is different. And I love that you would read my perspective, but there’s a lot of perspectives out there.”

(23:18) “Always stay curious, open-minded and honest. When we learn from each other, we learn something about ourselves. I want you all to look around the room and see that we are all unique and that’s a beautiful thing. Same is boring. So please be proud of your identity.”

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

• Natasha Khan Kazi Website – www.natashakhankazi.com

• Purchase the Book – Moon’s Ramadan

• IslamiMommy – IslamiMommy

TALK ABOUT THE EPISODE:

1. What phase is the moon in as you look up in the sky tonight? How would you describe it? When will the new lunar cycle begin?

2. If this was your first time hearing about Ramadan, what details can you remember that Natasha shared? What are some of the things you might see, smell, or taste during the holy month of Ramadan?

3. If you observe Ramadan in your family, what are some of the traditions that you and your loved ones practice? What are some of the things you most look forward to throughout the month? Who are some of the people with whom you celebrate?

4. Natasha reminded us that a main focus during Ramadan is practicing acts of kindness. What are some ways you could show kindness in your classroom? In your home? When you’re out in your community?

CREDITS:

This podcast episode of The Children’s Book Podcast was written, edited, and produced by Matthew Winner. For a full transcript of this episode, visit matthewcwinner.com. 

Write to me or send me a message at matthewmakespods@gmail.com. 

Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/). 

Our music is by Podington Bear. 

Podcast hosting by Libsyn. 

You can support the show and buy me a coffee at www.matthewcwinner.com.

We are a proud member of Kids Listen, the best place to discover the best in kids podcasts. Learn more at kidslisten.org.

Fellow teachers and librarians, want a way to explore building a stronger culture of reading in our communities? In The Reading Culture podcast, Beanstack co-founder Jordan Bookey hosts conversations that dive into beloved authors’ personal journeys and insights into motivating young people to read. And I am a big fan! Check out the Reading Culture Podcast with Jordan Bookey, from Beanstack. Available wherever podcasts are found.

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