My Name is Bilal

by Asma Mobin-Uddin, Barbara Kiwak (Illustrator)

Overview

Featured in a New York Times article titled "Teach Your Kids to Resist Hatred Toward Asians"

A young boy wrestles with his Muslim identify until a compassionate teacher helps him to understand more about his heritage. 

After a family move, Bilal and his sister Ayesha attend a new school where they find out that they may be the only Muslim students there. Bilal sees his sister bullied on their first day, so he worries about being teased himself, thinking it might be best if his classmates didn't know that he is Muslim. Maybe if he tells kids his name is Bill, rather than Bilal, then they will eave him alone. But when Bilal's teacher Mr. Ali, who is also Muslim, sees how Bilal is struggling. He gives Bilal a book about the first person to give the call to prayer during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. That person was another Bilal: Bilal Ibn Rabah. What Bilal learns from the book forms the compelling story of a young boy grappling with his identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635925135
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,124,497
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin is a pediatrician and an active member of her local Muslim community. She decided to write about the Muslim-American experience because she had difficulty finding good books on this subject to read to her children.

Barbara Kiwak is a commercial illustrator whose clients have included Time-Life, Readers Digest, Highlights for Children, and The World Wildlife Fund. She has had numerous showings of her fine art in the Baltimore/Washington area, where she makes her home.

Editorial Reviews

"An important book for most libraries as it will enhance discussions of cultural diversity and understanding." — School Library Journal

"A good starting place for discussions of cultural differences, prejudice, and respect for the beliefs of others." — Booklist

"Tackles a timely topic and raises some true-to-life situations. . . . Does a good job of presenting encouraging, positive images that contemporary Muslims in particular can embrace." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

The classrooms and playgrounds of Average Town, U.S.A., are the backdrop for this picture book about religious prejudice and tolerance. When Bilal and his sister Ayesha arrive at a new school, Bilal is sure that he and Ayesha are the only Muslim kids around, and some of the boys have already bullied Ayesha because of her traditional dress. Bilal wants so badly not to stand out in his new environment, that he initially introduces himself as "Bill." Lucky for him, his teacher is also Muslim (and a family friend) and provides some support-along with an interesting book about a famous Muslim hero whose name was also Bilal. Soon Bilal reconnects with his pride in his religious identity and also makes new friends. Mobin-Uddin, making her picture-book debut, tackles a timely topic and raises some true-to-life situations, but Bilal's struggle is all-too-neatly and quickly resolved. Still, the book does a good job of presenting encouraging, positive images that contemporary Muslims in particular can embrace. Kiwak, also a newcomer to children's books, uses an earthy watercolor palette for a series of moving portraits. Ages 6-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 3-6-A well-done treatment of a subject not often seen in children's picture books. Bilal transfers to a school where he and his sister are the only Muslim children. After an incident in which a boy pulls off Ayesha's headscarf, Bilal decides to hide the fact that he is Muslim until an understanding teacher, who is also Muslim, gives him a biography of Bilal ibn Rabah, a black slave who became the very first muezzin because of his steadfastness in the face of religious persecution. Attractive watercolor illustrations emphasize the parallels between the persecution faced by Bilal ibn Rabah and that faced by the American boy. This is an important book for most libraries as it will enhance discussions of cultural diversity and understanding.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

In this message-driven episode, a Muslim child tries to hide his identity after seeing his big sister harassed on their first day in a new school, but regains his footing thanks to help from a Muslim teacher and a book. At first, Bilal introduces himself to his class as "Bill," but after reading about early Muslim hero Bilal Ibn Rabah, he gains the confidence to face his sister's bully down, and even to invite him into a basketball game after school. Drab illustrations and book design reinforce the overt purpose here, but as Bilal isn't just a two-dimensional figure, and the setting is far less scary than that in Hristo Kyuchukov's My Name Was Hussein, illus by Allan Eitzen (2004), this may be useful in sparking discussions with younger audiences about prejudice. (afterword) (Picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews