Plants Feed Me: A Delightful Read Aloud

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

It is always a joy to find a book that helps teach children an important concept, is beautifully illustrated, and accompanies a story that captures children's interest and imagination. Plants Feed Me is one of those books.

 

This non-fiction picture book helps children understand how, by the Permission of Allaah, we get much of our food from plants. Children will encounter fruits and vegetables that they enjoy and consume each day, and they will learn from which part of the plant each of these foods come.

Alhamdulillaah, there are many ayaat in the Qur'aan which you can read to children prior to reading this book, to help children begin to understand the Mercy of Allaah and to help them understand that He is Al-Khaliq, and it is He who provides for His creation. A few ayaat that can be used to introduce this book are:

خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ وَأَلْقَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ ۚ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ

He has created the heavens without any pillars that you see, and has set on the earth firm mountains lest it should shake with you. And He has scattered therein moving (living) creatures of all kinds. And We send down water (rain) from the sky, and We cause (plants) of every goodly kind to grow therein. {Luqman: 10}

وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ 

And the earth which splits (with the growth of trees and plants). 
{At-Tariq: 12}

وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ

 And the earth! We have spread it out, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and have produced therein every kind of lovely growth (plants). {Qaf: 7}

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with, and be grateful to Allah, if it is indeed He Whom you worship. {Al-Baqarah: 172}

Please be aware that on the last page, there is a two-page spread of a farm and there are, on the left-hand side of the page, a pin with pigs in it. You can cover this part of the picture easily with a few small stickers alhamdulillaah. All other illustrations are delightful and wonderfully drawn.

This spring, if possible, plan to read Plants Feed Me in'shaa Allaah. 

Until the next book in'shaa Allaah....