Mindful Muslim Reader Review

The Cloud Spinner Mindful Muslim Reader Recommends childrens books

The Cloud Spinner

Ages:
  • Read Aloud
  • Teaching Tools
  • Virtue
    VIRTUE
    Is this the way I want my child to think and act?
    Ratings are based on how much a book extols Islamic morality and espouses classical ideals.
  • Language
    LANGUAGE
    Is this the way I want my child to speak?
    Ratings are based on a book's vocabulary, cadence, and overall eloquence suited to age level.
  • Story
    STORY
    Does this story resonate with my child?
    Ratings are based on the integrity of plot structure, the depth of characters, the palpability of the book's conflict and resolution, and the lure of its setting.
  • Beauty
    BEAUTY
    Does this book develop my child's ability to recognize beauty?
    Ratings are based on aesthetics, linguistic beauty, poignancy, and how well a book embodies ihsan—harmonizing excellence.

Values

  • Courage
  • Reverence
Heart

Struggles

  • Consumerism
  • Natural Consequences
Why Should
Why Should My Child Read This Book?

This story helps young children learn a crucial tenet of Islam—serving as stewards of this Earth and using the resources that Allah ﷻ has entrusted us with responsibly. Simple, yet beautifully illustrated, this book allows children to understand what happens to the environment when we use more than we need. Greed and overconsumption are tackled in a manner that even young children can understand.

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How can I use
How Can I Use This Book?
  • Did the King need the scarf or the clothes he ordered or did he want them? How is needing something different than wanting something?
  • Allah ﷻ can give us knowledge through many means. One is through the wisdom of our elders. Why should we respect this form of knowledge?
  • Why did his mother teach him “Enough is enough and not one stitch more”? What does that mean?
  • What made the boy wise? He learned from his mother and made only what he needed.
  • Discuss the natural consequences of greed. What happens to the clouds and subsequently the rain as the boy keeps up with the King’s demands?
  • Because of their fitrah, children are sometimes able to see right from wrong more clearly than adults. Who corrects the actions of the King?
  • Is it ever too late to fix a mistake?
  • We also recommend The Lorax for a picture book with a similar message that can be used for older children as well.
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What is this book
What’s This Book About?
One small boy has a special gift—he can weave cloth from the clouds: gold in the early morning with the rising sun, white in the afternoon, and crimson in the evening. He spins just enough cloth for a warm scarf. But when the king sees the boy's magnificent cloth, he demands cloaks and gowns galore. "It would not be wise," the boy protests. "Your majesty does not need them!" But spin he must—and soon the world around him begins to change. From author Michael Catchpool and illustrator Alison Jay comes a magical tale about the beauty and fragility of our natural world, and the wisdom and courage needed to protect it.
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Anything I need to be aware of?

VIEW FLAGS
Illustrator: Alison Jay
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published: 2012
Page Count: 32
ISBN13: 9780375870118
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
WE READ
COVER TO COVER
so you don't have to.
WE READ COVER TO COVER so you don't have to.

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