We are back with another book review, this time of Tammy Wilson’s Through My Eyes. Along with being a first time author, Tammy Wilson is a school principal at Discovery Elementary school in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The inspiration for writing the book arose following Tammy’s realization that there were no books in her school library…
Book Review #4: BismiAllah Soup Author: Asmaa Hussein Illustrator: Amina Khan Publisher: Ruqaya’s Bookshelf We are excited to share our review of BismiAllah Soup, a wonderful contribution to multicultural children’s books featuring Somali and Muslim characters. BismiAllah Soup is the latest offering of children’s author Asmaa Hussein, whose other books have included Yasmine’s Belly Button, and The Forever Tree. Asmaa foray…
Naima Shirdon Premise & Question: I was speaking with a Somali mother who was expressing concerns about her 4-year old daughter ‘Salma.’ She mentioned that Salma is very rowdy at home; she’s very defiant and quite a handful. She is ornery and has difficulty following directions. At school, however, her teachers say that Salma is…
BOOK REVIEW #3: Hind’s Hands: a Story about Autism Author: Umm Juwayriyah and Juwayriyah Ayed Illustrator: Emma Apple Publisher: As Sabr Publications We are thrilled to share another book we recently discovered, which will be of interest to families which have been impacted by Autism. Based on a true story, Hinds Hands takes us…
By: Sirad Shirdon Note: This was an article I wrote for a Somali news site in 2010. The issue of Autism is perhaps more pertinent than ever now, so I thought it would be useful to post here. Since 2010, I have worked extensively with Somali families impacted by Autism in Ohio and Minnesota.…
By: Qorsho Hassan I was raised by a single mother who valued education and the deen (Islam), and so my childhood revolved around books, the arts and constant exposure to the vibrancy of the somali dhaqan (culture). In the beginning of 2004, my mother sat me down to discuss how I’d be sharing my room…
By: Sirad Shirdon One question that I often get from Somali parents is how to improve children’s Somali language skills. Exposure to language rich environments is crucial in developing children’s oral and written language skills. A strong foundation in a child’s first language (L1) will help facilitate a child’s acquisition of their second language…
Book Review #2: Going to Mecca Author: Na’ima B. Robert Illustrator: Valentina Cavallini Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books At the Somali Literacy Project, one of our goals is to find children’s books which are culturally responsive to the literary needs of Somali children. With that said, we were delighted to find Going to…
Book Review #1: Qayb Libaax (The Lion’s Share) Author: Said Salah Ahmed Illustrator: Kelly Dupre Publisher: Minnesota Humanities Commision Qayb Libaax (The Lion’s Share) is a storybook rendition of a popular folktale in Somali culture. The book is one of four, published as a part of the Somali Bilingual Book Project of the Minnesota Humanities Commission.…
Gorfeyn Buugga: Qayb Libaax Qoraaga Buugga: Saciid Saalix Axmed Farshaxan: Kelly Dupre Qayb Libaax waa sheeko Soomaaliyeed oo aad looyaqaan hadana buug lagu soo daabacay. Buugani waa mid ka mid ah afar buug oo ay soo dabacday Somali Bilingual Book Project of Minnesota Humanities Commission. Jaaliyadda Soomaaliyeed iyo Minnesota Humanities Commission ayaa isku kaashatay 2006kii in…
By: Sirad Shirdon 1. Becoming culturally responsive educators Somali parents are attempting to educate their children with a backdrop of discrimination targeted towards Muslims, English language learners, Black students and immigrants and refugees (Bigelow, 2010). As Vygotsky stressed it is important that we connect children’s social worlds to the classroom, as this will be a…
By: Sirad Shirdon Picture this. You are a busy mother trying to keep an eye on your young children, while trying to get dinner ready. What to do? The truth is some would turn the TV on, in hopes of occupying the kids for a short while. In many Somali households here in Ohio, the…
Sirad Shirdon In the past few weeks, as media coverage has been dominated by refugees and migrants arriving in Europe, my thoughts returned to Somali refugee youth I met back in December 2012. In my work with a local elementary school in Nairobi, Kenya I was requested to give a motivational talk to the mostly…
Sirad Shirdon Talk to a Somali-American anywhere in the US. Chances are high that they know of a child and/or children who are on the Autism Spectrum. Many Somali mothers have been impacted by a diagnosis, which is unfamiliar to many in the community, and have struggled in accessing resources, in large part due to…
The Somali Literacy Project 