Mariam tries to share blessed Zamzam water with everyone she meets on Hajj, but what if she runs out? Mariam is one of the millions of people from all over the world who has come to Makkah for Hajj. With awe and excitement overflowing, Mariam aims to share Zamzam, blessed water from an ancient well, with everyone she meets. In return, she learns new ways to say thank you, she tries new foods and drinks, and she learns that when you share and help others, someone will help you when you need it too. Educational endnotes unpack the meaning of Hajj and the cultural elements introduced in the story. AGES: 4 to 8 AUTHOR: Razeena Omar Gutta has been writing for children and sharing her love for diverse books on various blogs for over ten years. She is the author of Hana's Hundreds of Hijabs. Razeena is a South Asian Muslim born in Zimbabwe and now living in Australia, where her three book-loving children inspire her to highlight Muslim lives in the joyful stories she writes for children. Bassent Dawoud is a children's book illustrator and art teacher living in Cairo, Egypt. To express the unique qualities of each book, she experiments with and integrates various art techniques, relying heavily on collage. Bassent enjoys immersing herself in nature: listening to birds, caring for cats, and watching flowers grow. SELLING POINTS: . MUSLIM FAITH: Features an annual event in Saudi Arabia that over a billion people worldwide hope to attend once in their lives. . GLOBAL AWARENESS: Highlights the global nature of Hajj, as Mariam meets people from all over the world during her stay in the Middle East. Cultures and countries represented include Pakistan, Indonesia, Uyghur, South Africa, the USA, Iran, Egypt, Somalia, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Australia. . SUSTAINABILITY: Features the use of well water in the desert, and a conservation outlook recognizing it as a precious resource. . SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING: Mariam learns about sharing, kindness, and community as she connects with fellow travelers while appreciating and learning from their differences. . EDUCATIONAL ENDNOTES: Detailed endmatter unpacks the cultural elements in the book, and explores Islamic traditions. . CULTURAL REPRESENTATION: Characters from cultures across the world ? Pakistan, Indonesia, Uyghur, South Africa, the USA, Iran, Egypt, Somalia, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Australia ? share foods and languages with Mariam.
