Yasmine's Belly Button

A touching Islamic story for kids about the depth of love in a mother-daughter relationship.

It’s Yasmine’s first day of school and she has butterflies in her tummy! Speaking of her tummy, what’s that little round thing on it called again? And what is it for anyway?

Along the way, little Yasmine discovers just how connected she is to her mom and all her new classmates.

Recommended For Ages 3+

Written by Asmaa Hussein

Book Review by Naz S

"I loved this book, not only is the story-line original, but it reinforces the great message that all humans are connected if we can just look for what is common between us. It’s also a great book to use for kids who are experiencing separation anxiety for the first day of Kinder/School as it provides a visual image for the connection between mother and child. The text is also kept to a minimum, which is great for young children. The illustrations are magnificent ..... Highly, highly recommend this book!"

Book Review by Sarah

"'Our copy of Yasmine's Belly Button is torn and tattered from all the loving reads over the years. It's been my daughter's favorite book since she was tiny. And recently helped her through a very anxious stretch of starting kindergarten at a new school! Thank you for this lovely classic!!"

Book Review by Janet Kozak

"Yasmine’s Belly button by Asmaa Hussain is a story of one young girl and her worries and questions about her belly button. Wistful illustrations by Charity Russell capturing how Yasmine imagines herself in her mother’s womb are spot on – producing a knowing smile from me as a parent. A lovely addition to any young reader’s nook!"

Book Review by Hibz

"When my 7 yr old was 5 she asked me what her belly button was, and lemme tell you, you explained it in such a better way =) A cute book with an even cuter reminder, my 7 5 & 3 really enjoyed it (and found it hilarious that she showed everyone her bellybutton (3eyb, they all called at the book in laughter) )"

Book Review by Karen Sanders

"What a wonderfully original story. My son loves this and really seemed to understand how a baby is connected to its Mother in the womb. Which is a hard concept for a child to grasp"

Book Review by Sara

"Since receiving this book, my son has wanted to read it over and over again. He is almost 2.5, so he doesn’t understand everything in it, but the illustrations and the colorful images in the book are very eye catching and there isn’t too much text on each page, so it works well for him as he likes to turn pages! We like to look for each other’s belly buttons when we start reading it. I enjoyed the story myself. As a mother it was very nice to read and it made me feel a connection to my son. I think this is a book we will definitely read for years to come."

Book Review by Samina Farooq

"The most beautiful sentence of this story was when her mother tells her to find something common with her classmates. Which made me wonder how some people can’t have body parts that you have, color of skin that you wear, language that you speak, religion that you follow…the list goes on. The belly button is probably an only visible thing that we all have in common. No matter what color, race, gender, abilities etc. A sign that we all came from another human being to another to another…which all connects us way back as well."

Details

Title: Yasmine's Belly Button
Author: Asmaa Hussein
Illustrator: Charity Russell
Publisher: Ruqaya's Bookshelf - Canada
Pages: 32
Volumes: 1
Size:  21.6 cm x 27.9 cm
Recommended Age Group: 3 years and above
Binding: Paperback
Edition Number: 1st
Year Of Publication: 2015
Weight: 0.11 kg
 

Author Profile

Asmaa Hussein is the founder of this small but wholesome publishing company Ruqaya's Bookshelf based in Canada. Since 2015, her mission has been to publish bright, fun, and engaging Islamic children’s books to add to your home and school libraries.

All books by Ruqaya's Bookshelf feature Muslim characters and protagonists, because we believe representation matters! Diversity in children’s literature contributes to a solid character education – and seeing someone who looks like you in a storybook is exciting!

After servitude to Allah, her daughter is her greatest motivation. As a widowed mother to a rambunctious and beautiful girl, she strives to show her an example of dedication, determination, and excellence.

She has named this publishing company after her – Ruqaya's Bookshelf – because she loves books more than anything.

So pull up a chair, enjoy their books and join their fun-filled adventure!