Religion as Life: Critical Content Analysis of Picturebooks About the Lives of Muslim Children

Abstract

Religion remains an aspect of culture often missing from picturebooks, based on the misunderstanding that religion has no place in U.S. public schools. This absence is particularly critical for books reflecting the lives of Muslim children, given the rising Islamophobia in the United States. A critical content analysis to examine representations of Muslim children in contemporary picturebooks set in the United States was conducted through a postcolonial lens. Islamic religious practices are integrated into the daily lives of Muslim children in these books for an audience of Muslim and non-Muslim readers. The books represent Muslim children and their families as culturally and religiously diverse, portray religious differences as resources for communities, and reflect the hybrid identities of Muslim children. The books serve as counternarratives, creating a space for Muslim authors and illustrators to voice and validate their life experiences for a broad audience of readers.