Demi (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Gandhi; <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Buddha) presents a resonant, splendidly illustrated portrait of the "Messenger of Islam," to whom, according to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel

revealed the sacred words that became the Koran. The well-researched narrative opens with a chronicle of the kind, charismatic Muhammad's early years, leading up to his first encounter with Gabriel and his subsequent role as the primary "voice of Islam" proclaiming "the message of God, preaching the existence of only one God, the importance of equality for all people, and the necessity of freedom of thought and speech." Graceful text brings various Islamic religious and cultural traditions into clear focus and makes accessible the somewhat complex chronology of the Prophet's peripatetic life. Incorporating her signature meticulous detail, accents of brilliant color, intriguing background patterns and gold-leaf flourishes, Demi's art is rendered in the two-dimensional style of the Persian miniature. As amplified in a cogent foreword by scholar Laleh Bakhtiar, the illustrations honor Islamic tradition in that they do not contain any actual pictures of Muhammad himself; instead they creatively depict his image as a flat figure silhouetted in gold leaf. An Arabic symbol, identified as a "traditional form of benediction," follows each mention of Muhammad's name. This timely, exceptionally handsome biography serves as an excellent introduction to Islam. Ages 7-10. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(July)

for reading aloud. More than any other children's book available, this biography of the prophet Muhammad reflects the literary and artistic traditions of the Islamic world. Like most Arab texts, it begins with the words, In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, and an Arabic honorific always follows Muhammad's name. The readily understandable narrative tells the stories of Muhammad's life as Muslim children hear them, beginning with his birth in Mecca and ending with the declaration that although Muhammad has died, God never will. In keeping with Islamic artistic tradition, the paintings do not portray the face or body of the Prophet; instead they show his silhouette in gold leaf. Using the ancient Persian miniature style, Demi ignores scale and paints primarily in two dimensions (so that, for instance, worshippers do not appear to be kneeling on a rug so much as superimposed on it). With dramatic scenes extending past the borders of the intricately patterned frames, the art will be a continual source of interest for young people. Demi weaves together selections from the Qur'an and an overview of Islam in this excellent retelling of the Prophet's life that combines beauty and scholarship.

What if butterflies were clothes? What if leaves were fish? Perry's eye-catching watercolors offer a visual answer to these imagination-teasers. Used as springboards, the illustrations offer many opportunities for children to play and make up stories, although not all suppositions are equally successful or original. The spare text is rendered efficiently in Spanish.

Aside from a scattering of devotional and limited-distribution titles, this lusciously illustrated, deeply respectful account is the first full life of Muhammad in English for younger readers. Tracing her subject's ascent from brilliant youth to venerated religious and political leader, Demi follows Muslim tradition by never depicting him directly; instead, she notes his location with a golden silhouette, placed with growing groups of followers and multi-winged angels in Persian-miniature-style gardens and cityscapes. Along with his historical career, meeting with the angel Gabriel and journey to Heaven, she also summarizes his teachings, tucks in passages from the Koran, and closes with a homily on the Muslim view of God as All-Compassionate and All-Merciful. Despite occasional awkward turns of phrase, this powerful portrait, as timely as it is essential, brilliantly illuminates the origins and spiritual foundations of one of the world's most widely-held religions. (map, source list) (Picture book/biography. 8-10)

A delicately illustrated presentation of the events that shaped Muhammad's life and his prophecies, complete with passages from the Koran. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.