Review Detail

Mariam has come with her family to Makkah for the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Her mother explains how Hajj is a time to do good, share, and be thankful, causing Mariam to wonder what she could do. She comes up with a brilliant plan: she will share Zamzam, blessed water from a well, with everyone she meets on her journey. During the sharing of her Zamzam, Mariam encounters new friends who teach her about new foods and drinks, and she learns that sharing with others and helping others always pays you back in their help.

What I Liked: This book does a great job of explaining the pilgrimage of Hajj by breaking it down into the different steps and also by introducing Mariam, who is excited for this journey. While the book doesn’t explain each portion of the journey, the end of the book provides detailed endnotes to make up for that. Throughout the book, you get a glimpse of Mariam’s journey and how she shares her Zamzam with the people she encounters, and what those exchanges add to her journey.

The illustrations throughout this book give you glimpses of Saudi Arabia as well as Makkah. The illustrations also do a great job of showing each portion of the pilgrimage of Hajj in a way that will hold a young reader’s attention. The book also includes breakdowns of the new words that are introduced throughout the book with pronunciation guides, making it helpful if you’re reading aloud.

The closing of this book explains the pillars of Islam and how Hajj is the final pillar. It also goes into the different portions of Hajj and the order in which the pilgrimage takes place. The closing of the book is full of information that further explains the story, which is helpful for older children who might be interested in learning more.

Final Verdict: Zam Zam for Everyone is an informative book that introduces young children to the annual pilgrimage of Hajj in Saudi Arabia. This is a great book to share with children to teach them about appreciating the differences of others and also within a community. This book is also good to teach young children about Makkah and Hajj, and what this journey entails, along with why people complete this journey.