Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4-7, younger for reading aloud. More than any other children's book available, this biography of the prophet Muhammad reflects the literary and artistic traditions of the Islamic world. Like most Arab texts, it begins with the words, In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, and an Arabic honorific always follows Muhammad's name. The readily understandable narrative tells the stories of Muhammad's life as Muslim children hear them, beginning with his birth in Mecca and ending with the declaration that although Muhammad has died, God never will. In keeping with Islamic artistic tradition, the paintings do not portray the face or body of the Prophet; instead they show his silhouette in gold leaf. Using the ancient Persian miniature style, Demi ignores scale and paints primarily in two dimensions (so that, for instance, worshippers do not appear to be kneeling on a rug so much as superimposed on it). With dramatic scenes extending past the borders of the intricately patterned frames, the art will be a continual source of interest for young people. Demi weaves together selections from the Qur'an and an overview of Islam in this excellent retelling of the Prophet's life that combines beauty and scholarship. --John Green Copyright 2003 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Demi (Gandhi; Buddha) presents a resonant, splendidly illustrated portrait of the "Messenger of Islam," to whom, according to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel revealed the sacred words that became the Koran. The well-researched narrative opens with a chronicle of the kind, charismatic Muhammad's early years, leading up to his first encounter with Gabriel and his subsequent role as the primary "voice of Islam" proclaiming "the message of God, preaching the existence of only one God, the importance of equality for all people, and the necessity of freedom of thought and speech." Graceful text brings various Islamic religious and cultural traditions into clear focus and makes accessible the somewhat complex chronology of the Prophet's peripatetic life. Incorporating her signature meticulous detail, accents of brilliant color, intriguing background patterns and gold-leaf flourishes, Demi's art is rendered in the two-dimensional style of the Persian miniature. As amplified in a cogent foreword by scholar Laleh Bakhtiar, the illustrations honor Islamic tradition in that they do not contain any actual pictures of Muhammad himself; instead they creatively depict his image as a flat figure silhouetted in gold leaf. An Arabic symbol, identified as a "traditional form of benediction," follows each mention of Muhammad's name. This timely, exceptionally handsome biography serves as an excellent introduction to Islam. Ages 7-10. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-Demi's somewhat reverent picture-book introduction to Muhammad is similar in format to her Buddha (Holt, 1995). Born into a powerful and influential Meccan tribe in the year A.D. 570, Muhammad was nursed for five years by a desert woman who recognized his "inner beauty and greatness." Between the ages of 40 and 63, he had many visions that revealed to him the words that became the Koran and the Five Pillars of Islam. Although he quickly gained many followers, his attempts to convert the idol-worshipping Meccans to monotheism annoyed the Quraysh tribal leaders, forcing the Muslims into military confrontations. Ultimately, he was able to unite the feuding Arab tribes into the Ummah brotherhood. Demi states that he granted religious tolerance to Christians and Jews, but forced them to pay a "tribute" to the Islamic government. Also, problematic generalized statements, such as "-Muhammad taught God's words that said that all men and women, black and white, rich and poor, must be treated with dignity and respect," are presented as fact. No mention is made of the disparaging references in the Koran to Jews and Christians, who are termed "disbelievers," or that Muslims are admonished not to take them as friends. Demi's carefully designed paint-and-ink illustrations, with their tiny detailed people in brightly colored costumes and Islamic architecture and symbols, are done in the style of the Persian miniature. Because Islamic tradition forbids the creation of graven images, Muhammad is depicted as a golden silhouette; his printed name is followed in the text by the Arabic symbol for benediction. Quotes from the Koran appear throughout, and a one-page bibliography includes text and art references. Elsa Marston's Muhammad of Mecca: Prophet of Islam (Watts, 2001) is a more thorough, unbiased introduction to Muhammad and Islam.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) Demi tells the story of the prophet Muhammad from birth to death, explaining the creation of Islam and the Koran. While her text presents his life point by point with little embellishment, the illustrations are lively--surprisingly so, given the restrictions placed on them. For one thing, Islamic law states that Muhammad may not be depicted; Demi overcomes this obstacle by showing him as a gold silhouette. This means that the pathos and much of the action rely on her portrayal of secondary characters and the setting. These are shown in the artist's familiar two-dimensional style, with thin black outlines and bright, solid colors. A foreword by a Muslim scholar explains that this is also the style of Persian miniatures, which show only two dimensions and no shadows, so here Demi's style and her use of gold ink become integral to the subject rather than being potential distractions. Supporting players perform admirably down to the last camel (drawn with affectionate humor), while settings juxtapose minimalist watercolor washes with complexly beautiful marbleized paper and rich carpet patterns. Gold is used sparingly but is present in each patterned border (often broken by wayward animals). Outside the borders, a background of sand-colored parchment or sheepskin bleeds off the page, providing a warm, organic base for the somewhat long text. This timely book presents the origins of Islam with great respect, illuminating the subject for children and for the adults who have to answer their questions about current events. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Aside from a scattering of devotional and limited-distribution titles, this lusciously illustrated, deeply respectful account is the first full life of Muhammad in English for younger readers. Tracing her subject's ascent from brilliant youth to venerated religious and political leader, Demi follows Muslim tradition by never depicting him directly; instead, she notes his location with a golden silhouette, placed with growing groups of followers and multi-winged angels in Persian-miniature-style gardens and cityscapes. Along with his historical career, meeting with the angel Gabriel and journey to Heaven, she also summarizes his teachings, tucks in passages from the Koran, and closes with a homily on the Muslim view of God as All-Compassionate and All-Merciful. Despite occasional awkward turns of phrase, this powerful portrait, as timely as it is essential, brilliantly illuminates the origins and spiritual foundations of one of the world's most widely-held religions. (map, source list) (Picture book/biography. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
