AILSA CHANG, HOST:
When the sun set last night, millions of Muslims around the world marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is often associated with fasting from dawn until sunset, no food or drink, even no water. A stretch of time that's filled instead with lots of prayer. But at its core, Ramadan is about more than just rituals. It's about patience, empathy, paying closer attention to one another. And two new books set out to illustrate the layered parts of the holy month for kids, whether they are observing Ramadan or just learning about it for the first time.
One book invites young readers into the sights and sounds of Ramadan. The other follows a child learning, sometimes imperfectly, what it means to take part in this month. Joining me now are the authors of those two books. Aya Khalil, whose new picture book is called "Ramadan For Everyone: A Muslim Community Story." And Nadine Presley, whose new book is titled "A Ramadan Night." Welcome to both of you.
AYA KHALIL: Thank you so much for having us. We're excited to be here.
NADINE PRESLEY: Thank you so much for having us.
CHANG: Oh, I'm so excited to have both of you here at once. So first tell me why you both thought it was important to write about Ramadan for children.
KHALIL: This is Aya Khalil. And growing up, I myself did not have any books whatsoever about Ramadan. And I always just felt left out. So as I became an adult and a mother myself, I wanted my own kids to see themselves in books about Ramadan.
PRESLEY: Yeah. This is Nadine. I feel Muslim holidays are often presented in a one-dimensional way. And, of course, fasting is an important part of the month. But Ramadan is also about all the different aspects of being in community, sharing meals, prayer, generosity, really, the Quran. And what I wanted with Ramadan night was I wanted to reflect that fullness and offer a multidimensional, immersive experience that more closely resembles how Ramadan is truly lived.
CHANG: And, Aya, your story follows a child who wants to do Ramadan correctly - right? - like, but who quickly learns that that's not always easy.
KHALIL: Yeah, of course. So I also didn't really want to teach what Ramadan is. Just simply, really, I just wanted to tell a story that shows the one family - and this is Habeeba's family - observing Ramadan throughout the month. And it's really her perspective. She tries so hard to be perfect. She tries so hard to fast all day and do all the night prayers. And there's just, like, that curiosity and wonder that she has to join in on the collective spirit of this special month. And she learns that it doesn't have to be perfect, that Ramadan is also about community. Like, hey, your community is here for you, and you're also here for your community.
CHANG: Well, in both of your books, I noticed a father figure plays a central role in guiding...
PRESLEY: Yes.
CHANG: ...The child through Ramadan. Why was that important to you?
PRESLEY: This is Nadine. You know what? Representation matters. And I really wanted a Ramadan night to show an Arab, Muslim baba in a way that feels authentic and proud. You see, too often in literature, Arab fathers are reduced to stereotypes. I wanted this baba to really reflect on all the real Arab babas. A loving, engaged father who is fully part of his child's world, you know, guiding, celebrating, walking through the nights of Ramadan. It was really important to me that young readers...
CHANG: Yeah.
PRESLEY: ...Especially Arab children, see their babas reflected with such care on the page.
KHALIL: Yeah. This is Aya. And I really wanted to highlight Habeeba and her relationship with her father, who's a professional chef. And he does these little things throughout the month, like, you know, making her favorite desserts for iftar or for suhoor, putting out, like, delicious homemade meals. And it's important because that's the reality for so many of us, despite such few mainstream portrayals of our fathers. It's just a normal thing. Like, our fathers are loving people. And I think we both were able to put that in just very naturally and authentically.
CHANG: Well, can both of you talk about the first time you tried to fully participate in Ramadan as a child?
KHALIL: This is Aya. The earliest memories I have of Ramadan, it was me and my brother. We were the only Muslims in the whole school. We used to live in North Dakota at the time. And so I just remember us fasting, and my dad would come and pick us up during lunchtime, and he would just drive us around. And we would just sit in the car and talk about our day, and it was just such a special memory and moment for us. And I also remember praying at the masjid, and it would be late at night. And kids love to stay up at night.
CHANG: (Laughter) That's true.
KHALIL: So when they get the chance to...
CHANG: Yeah.
KHALIL: Yeah, we can stay up until midnight at the masjid. So it was - we were looking forward to it. And, of course, I couldn't stay up until midnight. And I would just sleep next to my mom. Of course, there was the soothing sounds of the prayers. And the carpets are so soft. So I have, like, early memories of those moments especially, with my family.
CHANG: And that totally made it into your writing, the wanting to create an inclusive space for people who were fasting, and then later, just trying to stay up (laughter) and not succeeding.
KHALIL: Absolutely. On the other hand, now, my kids' own school, for example, they do have this special place and space for kids who are fasting, and it is the library. The kids will go there and rest and read. And it's a great time.
CHANG: I love that. What about you, Nadine?
PRESLEY: My most vivid memories of Ramadan as a child is actually walking to the masjids. I just remember so vividly grabbing my prayer rug and setting out. And like many children do, you, like, soak in every little detail along the way. The families walking beside us, the moon, stepping into the mosque and hearing all the echoes, salaam and laughter and feeling that deep sense of peace. And then there was that quiet feeling of accomplishment afterwards, knowing a late-night dessert was waiting.
(LAUGHTER)
PRESLEY: Those moments really stayed with me. I think they were so deeply engraved in my memory that they are ultimately what brought this story to life.
CHANG: How beautiful. Nadine Presley and Aya Khalil are children's book authors. The books are "A Ramadan Night" and "Ramadan For Everyone: A Muslim Community Story." Thank you to both of you so much. I really enjoyed talking to you.
KHALIL: Thank you so much. We enjoyed it. It was Very fun. Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF KHRUANGBIN SONG, "MARIA TAMBIEN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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