Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns
Ages: 0-7
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★★
- Gratitude
- Respect For Elders
- Routines
Values
Struggles
Why Should My Child Read This Book?
This four-book collection invites children to consider the beauty of Allah’s creation through color, shape, number, and relationships. Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns earns our gold star for capturing the simple beauty of our traditions. The first in this collection of highly recommended books introduces colors as they relate to what we hold sacred: the Qur’an, the masjid, our family and elders, prayer, and zakat. The book can be used to introduce some of the pillars of Islam and it can also serve as an early art study introducing the basics of color theory such as warm and cool colors, the color wheel, and contrasting colors. (See section “How Can I Use This Book?” for more).
How Can I Use This Book?
- Before reading, ask:
- Name some colors you see around you. Can you find something gold? Something silver? Who created all the colors around us? Allah ﷻ! Allah ﷻ created so many beautiful colors we see and use everyday.
- Discuss the following part of a hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said “Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty.” (Muslim) What do you think this means? Allah created the world with beauty, and it is our responsibility to preserve and reflect that beauty. We begin by tending to our own hearts—because when the heart is beautiful, our words, actions, and choices become beautiful as well.
- What is a dome? Have you visited mosques in other countries? What do they look like? What are minarets? In mosques, we decorate with beautiful shapes, designs from nature like flowers and trees, and Islamic calligraphy. Why do you think people decorate mosques beautifully?
- What is a lantern? People use lanterns to spread light, as decoration, or both.
- Allah ﷻ made so many beautiful colors. What does this tell us about Allah ﷻ and the beauty of His creation? It shows us that Allah ﷻ has purpose in His ﷻ design. His creation allows us to see beauty in the world and remember that this world is designed with purpose.
- What are the five pillars of Islam? Why are they called pillars? Demonstrate the importance of pillars holding up a building. Just like pillars hold up a building, the five pillars of Islam hold up Islam in our hearts. As we read, see if you can find some of the pillars of Islam in this book.
- Salah is one of the five pillars of Islam. Do you have a special prayer mat which you love to use? What color is it? Did you know that the whole world is your prayer mat? Discuss this hadith: “The entire Earth has been made a place of prayer, except for graveyards and washrooms.” (Tirmidhi)
- What is Zakat? It is one of the five pillars of Islam. Allah ﷻ asks us to purify our money by sharing with people who do not have enough.
- What is the Quran? Who was the Quran revealed to? What are we supposed to do with the Quran?
- What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the most blessed of all months. What does Allah ﷻ ask us to do in Ramadan? We fast! Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. What does your family eat at suhur time? Iftar time? What do we do at the end of Ramadan? How do you celebrate the end of Ramadan? Do you decorate the house?
- Allah ﷻ has gifted us with so many beautiful ways to remember and please Him. What are your favorite ways to remember Him?
- It’s time for an outdoor activity! Print or draw a color wheel on white card stock and review the colors and their opposites. Head outdoors and invite children to explore nature by finding leaves, flower petals, or small items they can safely tape onto the matching section of the wheel using clear tape. As they work, remind them that Allah ﷻ created so many beautiful colors.
What’s This Book About?
Magnificently capturing the colorful world of Islam for the youngest readers, this breathtaking and informative picture book celebrates Islam's beauty and traditions. From a red prayer rug to a blue hijab, everyday colors are given special meaning as young readers learn about clothing, food, and other important elements of Islamic culture, with a young Muslim girl as a guide. Sure to inspire questions and observations about world religions and cultures, Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns is equally at home in a classroom reading circle as it is being read to a child on a parent's lap.
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Anything I need to be aware of?
VIEW FLAGSGenres: Educational, General Fiction, Poetry
Series: A Muslim Book of Concepts
Publisher: Chronicle Books
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
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