The DetailsTitle: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns Author: Hena Khan Illustrator: Mehrdokht Amini Publisher: Chronicle Books Copyright: 2015 Age Range: 4-7 Other Works:
| Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan is a great way to increase diversity in our everyday subjects. This book teaches children about their colors through everyday objects found in the Muslim culture. Not only is this book a great way to introduce colors to a young child, but it is also a great way to introduce the Muslim culture to young children. They will learn a lot no matter which reason you choose to share this book. The books text is simple and predictive. It starts out with a color is. For example, the first page states "Red is the rug Dad kneels on to pray". This introduces the color. The second part of each page contains what that has to do with Muslim culture or further explains the item. The first page continues, " facing towards Mecca, five times a day." This teaches children that people of the Muslim faith pray five times per day, on a rug, facing Mecca. One of the best parts about this book is that it contains a glossary in the back. This makes it accessible to people of all faiths and backgrounds and helps to open up the discussion about the Muslim culture. It includes important words that are found throughout the book, such as Mecca and hijab. This helps adults explain more easily what some of these items are. It also teaches children that information is found in various places. It is important that children learn how to use the tools that are included in books. The illustrations are beautifully done. Some items are very simple, such as the colored backgrounds with delicate designs. Other are more intricate, such as the patterns on the lanterns. The illustrator, Mehrdokht Amini, did a wonderful job with illustrations that are sure to engage young readers. I also really like that both the author and illustrator are of the Muslim faith. Sometimes it is hard to find books that represent minorities that are written by those same minorities. This is an important factor to note. This book could easily be used in a classroom. It could be used for preschoolers who are learning their colors. It could also be used with units featuring cultures around the world in many different grade levels. I don't think that there is a bad age group to introduce this book to. |