I have read several books on Ramadan and on India (not together, but the theme of the review is different takes on familiar areas). They were starting to blend together (I was talking about one book and realized that I was combining two different ones). Therefore, when I saw The Ramadan Drummer I was both interested and assumed it would be “just another Ramadan story.” Which, it was not. Sahtinay Abaza’s story starts out similarly to other Ramadan stories, in which the young boy of the story is hungry and cannot wait to break his fast, but a comment from his mother and aunt turns things around. They speak of the first Ramadan the two women had and the mother not wanting to sleep as she might miss the Ramadan Drummer. We proceed to learn that before modern technology (such as alarm clocks) a man would go around the town beating a drum, to make sure everyone was awake for the last meal before their day long fasts ast sunrise. Due in January 2024 this book has a piece of information that is probably mostly forgotten, or unknown to most, coming to life. Yes, we learn about the Ramadan celebration and the familiar acts we have seen in other books, but also we see, through the dream of the child, more about the religious, spiritual and historic aspects. We learn in a more natural manner the pieces and how they fit.
The same thing happens with Arthi’s Bomma giving us a piece of Indian history. As I said, I had read several books about India. Usually they focus on human or women’s rights, or a religious celebration. And those were all fantastic, but again, the stories started to blend. I almost did not read Arthi’s Bomma because of that. However, I am glad I did. This time, Arthi is having a great day at school, that is until another student pulls out a brand new, flashy toy. In hoping to share the excitement, she pulls out the doll her family created together. It is “unflashy” and a “silly baby toy” to the others. Upset, she tells her father she no longer wants to play with these dolls. But her father tells her that they are more than just dolls, and to ask the other members of the family why that is so. Each one gives her a piece of the puzzle to understand the historical and family connection. It is the afterwards that ties things together in the details and the fact it is a dying art as mass produced toys are becoming “the thing” to play with. Mamta Nainy’s story is a love letter to a culture and an almost lost art.
Dinara Mirtalipova’s illustrations from Ranadan Drummer were perhaps my favorite piece of the story. They are rich, immensely detailed and dreamy, even when things are set in the here and now vs. the dream sequence. The colors are deep and dark for the dream, while reality has the lighter, brighter colors. Of course, even though they are not “stiff” they do have a more solidness to them. This is in contrast to the artwork of Shruti Prabhu and Arthi’s Bomma. They are a smidgen more cartoon-like without being cartoonish. They capture the world and the story well, giving things a lighter but strong center. They are supporting the text/story and represent things in a relatable and accessible manner. The afterwards includes photographs of the author’s collection.