A Ramadan Night by Nadine Presley & Asma Enayeh

Salam Ramadan to all who celebrate! One thing I love about this month is how it highlights how different Muslim experiences are all over the world, with this book being a particularly fine example.

Based on Nadine Presley’s childhood in Damascus, Syria, this charming picture book explores the sensory experience of the fasting month, as a young boy named Sami thinks about what Ramadan nights signify to him. From the meal after dusk on the patio, to the walk to the mosque and then home again, Sami focuses on the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of nights made special by community and faith.

Illustrator Asma Enayeh also grew up in Damascus. Her background underscores the authenticity of this book, as she lovingly depicts the cityscape Sami and his Baba travel on their walk to the masjid and back. The characters are diverse in form and action, and Sami’s curiosity and openness are depicted vividly as he absorbs the world around him. It’s a colorful, transporting way to experience Damascus during a Ramadan night. The gorgeous patternwork and calligraphy are only the icing on this metaphorical cake.

Having grown up in the USA and Malaysia, my Ramadan nights were (and still are!) different from Sami’s in many ways. It’s lovely that this book not only highlights the best of this faith-based experience but also showcases a beautiful city and its customs. A lot of people assume that Islam and Muslims are a monolith, when nothing could be further from the truth. Books like these help underscore the vibrancy of how Islam engages with different cultures, giving readers of all ages a look into both the relevance of shared knowledge and values (charity and literacy are both HUGE parts of our religion) and the importance of acknowledging and accepting the diversity of circumstance and appearance.

A Ramadan Night by Nadine Presley & Asma Enayeh was published January 27 2026 by Salaam Reads and is available from all good booksellers, including