Dear Moon: Inspiration from the Beautiful Wisdom of the Qur’an by Zayneb Haleem knocked my socks off! It is one of the most beautifully created books I have seen this year. I cannot stop saying the word Beautiful to describe it. It is a beautiful book of inspiration that is breathtaking. It is beautifully poetic. You might not be Muslim, but the messages are for everyone.
It was not until college that I realized how the religious text and/or meanings were so similar when it comes to the Christian, Judaic and Muslim faiths. The words come from the Qur’an, yet, if I had not realized they were from there, I would have thought it was a Christian Bible or book of Christian inspiration for children. Yes, Allah is mentioned several times, but that does not matter. They are truly beautiful sayings of hope and more.
When I read one of the first ones, Don’t Lose Hope in Allah’s mercy Qur’an 39.53; I knew exactly what to expect of the text, so that was not a surprise. What did surprise me was that there were messages that were more generic, as well as the illustrations. Those beautiful illustrations! They are very simple (the message is usually centered, with a watercolor look to the details/colors). Yet, they really hit you. They are bright, without being over the top, overwhelming or saccharin. Yet, they are sweet. Maybe too sweet for some people, but I thought they had the right amount. The young child who is guiding us throughout, is a mixture of Holly Hobbie and Joan Walsh Anglund, with modern elements as well.
I read it as an online reader copy, so I am not sure how the finished copy will look, but at the end of February/early March 2025 I want to get my hands on a copy. It might be a hard sell, but it’s worth it.
