Synopsis
Stellaluna is the tender story of a lost young bat who finally finds her way safely home to her mother and friends.- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- Why did the mother bird take care of Stellaluna even though it was not her child and not even from the same species? This is part of the mercy in Allah’s creation, especially in mothers.
- Was the mother bird correct in making sure Stellaluna was not a bad influence on her children? Yes, the mother bird knew that if the baby birds tried to behave like a bat (hanging upside down), they could get hurt.
- What happened when the young birds tried to act like a bat by flying at night? They almost died.
- Stellaluna tried to act like a bird. What happened to her? She was miserable: eating insects, fumbling when landing on branches, unable to sleep comfortably.
- Introduce the following verse from the Quran: “Do you not see that Allah is glorified by all those in the heavens and the earth, even the birds as they soar? Each ˹instinctively˺ knows their manner of prayer and glorification. And Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all they do. (24:41)”
- Allah ﷻ in his infinite wisdom, has created many different species of animals, all who follow Allah’s ﷻ commands and praise Him. How did Allah ﷻ make birds and bats different from each other? How are they the same? Sleeping in the day v. night, hanging upside down v. sitting while sleeping, eating fruits v. insects, flying at night v. flying in the day. Both fly, need their mothers to care for them when they are young, and need their mothers to teach them right from wrong!
- At the end of the story the birds wonder, “How can we be so different and feel so much alike?…How can we feel so different and be so much alike?…I think this is quite a mystery.” What does Stellaluna answer? Do you think she’s right? Stellaluna agrees it’s a mystery. She’s right as not all of our questions about the world will be answered, but we trust in Allah’s ﷻ divine wisdom for all His creation.
Mindful Muslim Review
This touching story of a baby bat who is separated from her mother and lands in a nest of baby birds teaches children that we are created with a purpose, in a form and with characteristics specifically designed to suit that purpose. Stellaluna and her friends learn that they cannot imitate the other, though they very much want to, by the very nature of their creation and the limitations of their bodies. Birds are not bats, and bats are not birds – but they can still protect one another and show great acts of kindness and cooperation. Throughout the story, the young bat respects authority, shows resilience and great courage through hardship, and refrains from complaining despite having to eat bugs instead of fruit! Finally reunited with her mother, Stellaluna learns once more how to embrace the wonderful gifts her Creator has given her, no longer wanting to imitate the birds, content with her abilities as a creature of the night.
