Review Detail

Giving the Best of What You Have is the fifth book in the early chapter book series about Sulaiman learning to live by the Muslim tenets. Sulaiman meets a new friend and is having a great time until he realizes Joseph never brings toys for him to play with or invites him to his house. His father helps him understand that Joseph's family is seeking asylum and had to leave their country too quickly to have much, and his father doesn’t have permission yet to work. From this experience, Sulaiman learns to give not just junky things he no longer enjoys playing with, but quality items. He also learns that giving does not have to be material, but can be time, effort, or skills. That Allah will give greater rewards in repayment than what you give as charity.
The story is easy to follow, and the book is long enough to convey this example of giving the best of what you have in a relatable scenario.
There are color illustrations throughout the book. The illustrations have a manga quality to the facial expressions that is not my favorite in a contemporary setting. The story is a morality tale that, at times, is a bit stilted in places to insert the religious teachings of the story.
This story does take place in England, so there are some minor spelling differences and cultural references that may be unknown to young American readers. However, these differences did not impact comprehension.
Overall, this book features how the Muslim faith can be applied to relatable scenarios. In the back are quotes from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and comprehension questions to guide learning from this story.