This book was an enjoyable read overall. When I began reading, the first thing I compared this book too was those of David Walliams' due to the use of different fonts on certain words to make them stand out - like Walliams, the chosen fonts tend to be somewhat related to what the word is saying, e.g 'a big cheeky grin' is written on a face in the shape of a smile. Our Guest Editor, Cressida Cowell said, "this is a very funny, illustrated series which has characters with heart who you really care about. I’d say if you’re a fan of Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates, you’d like this series…" The issue of inclusion is present in many, if not all classrooms in some form or another, and literature is the perfect way to make children aware of some of the things that are happening around them, in a more subtle way. Not only could this be used in a fictional way during English lessons but also as a way of introducing citizenship for example in PSHE to older children who can relate and empathise with the themes of the book. This is a really hilariously funny, warm hearted, easy-to-read tale, with a gentle moral of how if people work together they can achieve wonderful things. Zanib Mian’s wit and great ability to create believable characters makes this a must read. The illustrations by Nasaya Mafaridik create the perfect mood and this new series will very much suit fans of Tom Gates. This is book two in the Planet Omar series, and readers will also enjoy Zanib Mian’s Accidental Trouble Magnet (previously published as The Muslims) but it’s not necessary to read this first.

All upcoming public events are going ahead as planned and you can find more information on our events blog A lot of Pakistani food is mentioned throughout the story so if the reader has some idea of what these foods are it would help them to visualise what is being discussed (however, taste testing would make a fun lesson!) There is a range of teaching opportunities and themes the class teacher could use to help children have a discussion about the novel.

En heel veel toestanden, dat is zeker! Planeet Omar is een boek voor kinderen van een jaar of 7 met een uitbundige typografie en lekker veel verbeelding. Ik zal niet zeggen dat er wat uit mijn neus spoot, maar hard lachen deed ik zeker. Previously published as 'The Muslims', this was the winner of the Little Rebels Award in June 2018. The text has been revised, expanded with new scenes and re-illustrated. About This Edition ISBN: I have to be honest, upon seeing the cover of this book I definitely wasn't pulled towards reading it. It looked too -comic like' for me. However, as the saying goes 'don't judge a book by it's cover', well that couldn't be more true in this case. I ended up loving it!! Firstly, the book is written in first person from the POV of Omar, a young muslim boy who has had to leave his old life behind and come and start a new one in England. I like this style of writing because it is almost childlike and very simplistic; therefore making it so much easier and accessible for any child to relate too. My favourite parts of the book were when Omar educated us as readers about his family traditions as Muslim's such as Ramadan and fasting and the different types of prayer. I think this would be a great book to use as a cross curricular link between RE and literacy, and I cannot wait to use it in my classroom.

I also enjoyed the choices of font used throughout this book. It encouraged my imagination to run wild. It makes the book more accessible for children, in particular the children who may struggle with reading. This is because it breaks up the text into small and manageable chunks having the images and crazy fonts alongside to help with comprehension of the story. This could be used to look at language and how it can be represented. Such as when Mian has used lightening bolts instead of 'S' in the sentence 'as fast as humanly possible'. The children could discuss her choice to replace the 'S' and why she might have chosen a lightening bolt. This will help to develop their creative writing and think deeper about their language choice. Het boek is ook heerlijk geillustreerd en er waren echt illustraties op bijna elke pagina, klein of groot. Een nieuw deel in de Planeet Omar serie en ditmaal een moskee die problemen heeft, vriendschap, een vervelende zus dus, en nog veel meer. Ik heb echt genoten van het boek, het was erg leuk. Use the example where Omar’s feeling frightened, nervous, or worried. The class teacher will encourage the children to write a diary entry to express the feelings of Omar’s imaginative world with the dragon (H20) helping him to overcome these feelings. The children could think about why the dragon is important to Omar and how it supports his thoughts and feelingsOmar’s relationship with his older sister Maryam will be relatable to any child with a sibling. They argue, they fall out, they annoy each other, and when all is said and done they love each other. The race to raise the money for the mosque brings out their competitive sides and neither wants to be outdone by the other. An exciting middle-grade debut starring a Muslim boy with a huge imagination. An NPR Best Book of the Year. It’s not so much a dislike of the book, but I don’t like that Mrs Rodgers and Daniel actually needed to revive an act of kindness before being non-judgmental. I think it’s a shame that this is what happens and children have to suffer this.it is commented on that Mrs Rodgers views are probably front what she has read in newspapers and how those of the Muslim faith are often linked to terrorism and that therefore is the basis of her opinions. Again, this is a true representation of how many people make their views and acts as a reminder to not always trust the media. I love, love, love this book! I will have a copy of this text in all my future classes and would recommend it to all.

I would recommend this book as an English class read. The book is full of different themes that the class teacher can explore with the children. I think the text is useful to teach children about the power of love and the influence our siblings, families, and friends have on us. The teacher can use the main character (Omar) to help children explore Omar’s imaginative world and lifestyle. The class teacher may focus on the importance of Omar creating an imaginative world and having the support of his family to help him manage with difficult or scary situations he experiences (moving house, being bullying, getting lost, etc). From reading the book the class teacher may help the children to understand the importance of sharing their problems with responsible adults they trust. The teacher can also explore with their class the Muslim religion and help the children to understand the different faiths, festivals and traditions. In their debut, Mian and Mafaridik create a relatable and hilarious story . . . Exploding with personality and imagination, Omar is an easy character to love.”— Booklist, starred review

Engage children with digital learning

I really enjoyed reading this book as I feel like it is very educational as it explains quite a lot about the Islam religion which can be useful when teaching children about Islam. Especially as it tells the reader about the different prayers that they do everyday, tells the reader about Ramadan and why they do it and also about the two different Eid's that Muslims celebrate throughout the year. Also, this book can teach children how they can stand up to bullies and what should do if they are being bullied in school. This book has excellent illustrations that go alongside the text and they are illustrations that make you feel like you are inside Omar's head and following him through every emotion that he feels. It teaches children that bullying or unkind behaviour can be overcome, and often getting to know the person can be the best way to solve this. Omar is like any other child - he loves playing with his mates, he argues with his siblings and just wants to have fun! The book captures the trials and tribulations of being a child perfectly and shows that regardless of race and religion children are all very much alike. Planet Omar has all of the everyday life family drama and silly humour of Tom Gates and Sam Wu, and it's wonderful to read a funny book for kids featuring a Muslim family.