Review: Who Will Help Me Make Iftar? by Asmaa Hussein and Saliha Çalışkan (Türkiye)
I have been following Asmaa Hussein, founder of Ruqaya’s Bookshelf, for a long time and have come to very much respect the work ethic she consistently demonstrates. So I have always intended to buy at least a couple of her books when the opportunity to give them to a child presented itself.
A Turkish Ramadan
For my first purchase, I settled on Who Will Help Me Make Iftar? Set in Turkey on the first day of Ramadan, this story follows Mustafa Amca (“uncle” in Turkish) as he attempts to prepare iftar for family and friends. The book takes us through his preparation of each course of the meal and the various feeble excuses people come up with to avoid helping with the work. In the end, he manages alone and displays grace and generosity in inviting all these people to a beautiful iftar in his garden, where they feel ashamed of their actions and endeavour to do better.
Beautiful details
There are many lovely elements to this book. First, of course, are the illustrations: drawn by Saliha Çalışkan, a Turkish artist, they display beautiful little details like Turkish streets, the recognisable mosque style and, of course, Turkish food. The food featured in the book is also a nice introduction to Turkish dishes, like kavurma, pilav and revani. Having read this book with a young child many times now, Mustafa Amca’s “beef kavuuuurma” often comes up in our conversations!
The story itself also offers a number of points of discussion. Its strongest message is in Mustafa Amca’s desire to do good for the sake of Allah, regardless of the attitude of others, and to do so with grace. It also shows that while people might make mistakes (like not wanting to help cook because of a new shirt!), they can still acknowledge their mistakes and redeem themselves. Final scenes of each person finding a way to repay Mustafa Amca’s generosity also led to a conversation about helping the needy, which has carried on when reading other books, alhamdu Lillah. Another small point I liked was the portrayal of a man cooking iftar while also acknowledging the many more times that his wife has done it. These are not points that are very explicitly highlighted in the book, but they will of course enter a child’s subconscious. It also portrays a caring, affectionate husband-wife relationship between an older couple. Lastly, the fact that Mustafa Amca and his family and friends ensure they pray their prayers on time in the mosque completes the Ramadan atmosphere!
With Ramadan coming up, I think this book is a lovely way to explore Ramadan in a different country and the spirit of generosity and service to Allah that we should all try to encompass during the month. And maybe after reading this book a few times, you can even try making one of the dishes together!
Related resources
Asmaa Hussein reading the book aloud with Noor Kids – Youtube
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