A Very Happy Ramadan

by A. M. Dassu, illustrated by Abeeha Tariq

Interest age: 4 to 7
Reading age: 7+

Published by Scholastic, 2026

  • Picture books

About this book

It’s the first day of Ramadan, and Rayhan comes down to breakfast to find Daddy quietly reading the Quran. Since all the adults have already had breakfast, Daddy offers Rayhan porridge, but Rayhan doesn’t like porridge, so he decides that he’s going to fast for the day. 

Fasting also means that Rayhan doesn’t have to eat lettuce at lunchtime. Delighted, Rayhan skips out to play with his friend Adam, but his tummy starts to growl and he can’t resist a strawberry Daddy offers him. But, then, he’s instantly mortified that he’s broken his fast… 

Fortunately, there are lots of other things that Rayhan can do to honour Ramadan: be kind to others, do charitable work and help people in need.  

At the end of the day, all the family gets together to break their fast, and Rayhan realises that being with his family is his favourite part of Ramadan.  

Dassu and Tariq’s bright and cheerful book about a child’s experience of an important month in the Islamic calendar explains what the practice of fasting looks like for all the family, who is exempt and why fasting is important. The topic is handled sensitively and authentically: an interesting and relatable read for all children. 

About the author

A. M. Dassu is a former World Book Day author and internationally acclaimed author of 14 children’s books, including Boy, Everywhere, Fight Back and Kicked Out, which have collectively been listed for over 55 awards, including the Carnegie Medal, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Week Junior Book Award. 

She is a director at Inclusive Minds, a patron of The Other Side of Hope, an international literary magazine edited by immigrants and refugees, and one of The National Literacy Trust’s Connecting Stories campaign authors, aiming to help inspire a love of reading and writing in children and young people. 

You can find her on Instagram: @a.m.dassu

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