Razeena Omar Gutta Books

Not many books can be called mouthwatering, but this one truly is! The book takes a really interesting approach to explaining to children the traditions and practices of Ramadan, and for children who know Ramadan as part of their home lived experience, it may reflect aspects of their experiences and celebrate their religious knowledge.

The book focuses on a street, Rahma Road and the handy glossary at the back of the book tells us that Rahma means compassion and kindness. The book reflects these values by introducing families from wide geographical heritages, demonstrating the breadth of the Muslim faith. The narrative that threads through the text is the preparation for iftar, the breaking of the fast at sundown. Each family on the street is featured, along with a traditional recipe.

The recipes are fabulous – they are written in a way that is easy to follow and continues the narrative of the book. The illustrations are vivid and bright and capture the subtle differences in the cultural context of each family, which range from African American heritage to Palestinian to Egyptian to Australian and many more. This range of families is great for myth busting about this world religion. The language used is accessible and engaging. Different styles of writing are seen in the recipes and the narrative – this can be really helpful to support children to identify genre differences.

This is a vibrant book that will engage children with a wide range of subject areas as well as excite and motivate them to read on.