From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up-Demi's somewhat reverent picture-book introduction to Muhammad is similar in format to her Buddha (Holt, 1995). Born into a powerful and influential Meccan tribe in the year A.D. 570, Muhammad was nursed for five years by a desert woman who recognized his "inner beauty and greatness." Between the ages of 40 and 63, he had many visions that revealed to him the words that became the Koran and the Five Pillars of Islam. Although he quickly gained many followers, his attempts to convert the idol-worshipping Meccans to monotheism annoyed the Quraysh tribal leaders, forcing the Muslims into military confrontations. Ultimately, he was able to unite the feuding Arab tribes into the Ummah brotherhood. Demi states that he granted religious tolerance to Christians and Jews, but forced them to pay a "tribute" to the Islamic government. Also, problematic generalized statements, such as "-Muhammad taught God's words that said that all men and women, black and white, rich and poor, must be treated with dignity and respect," are presented as fact. No mention is made of the disparaging references in the Koran to Jews and Christians, who are termed "disbelievers," or that Muslims are admonished not to take them as friends. Demi's carefully designed paint-and-ink illustrations, with their tiny detailed people in brightly colored costumes and Islamic architecture and symbols, are done in the style of the Persian miniature. Because Islamic tradition forbids the creation of graven images, Muhammad is depicted as a golden silhouette; his printed name is followed in the text by the Arabic symbol for benediction. Quotes from the Koran appear throughout, and a one-page bibliography includes text and art references. Elsa Marston's Muhammad of Mecca: Prophet of Islam (Watts, 2001) is a more thorough, unbiased introduction to Muhammad and Islam.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7, younger 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. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Muhammad is the messenger of Islam. Born in Mecca in the year 570, Muhammad grew into a sensitive and thoughtful man who believed deeply in the worship of one true god. In his fortieth year, Muhammad experienced a revelation from the angel Gabriel that he, Muhammad, was the messenger of God. Over the next twenty-three years, he received many such revelations, all of which were written down by scribes at the time of revelation to become the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, a religion that is practiced by nearly one-quarter of the world's population and holds as its most sacred tenet that there is no god but God. Through a clear text and stunning illustrations based upon those of traditional Islamic expression, the award-winning artist Demi here introduces the remarkable life of the Prophet Muhammad for young readers.

Card catalog description
Introduces Muhammad and the basic tenets of the Islamic faith.

About the Author
Demi is the award-winning creator of numerous books for children, including The Empty Pot, Buddha, The Dalai Lama, The Emperor's New Clothes, Gandhi, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Seal Award, and King Midas: The Golden Touch, which a Kirkus starred review describes as "magnificent" and "dazzling." She lives in Carnation, Washington.

ANNOTATION

Introduces Muhammad and the basic tenets of the Islamic faith.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Born in Mecca in the year 570, Muhammad grew into a sensitive and thoughtful man who believed deeply in the worship of one true god.

In his fortieth year, Muhammad experienced a revelation from the angel Gabriel that he, Muhammad, was the messenger of God. Over the next twenty-three years, he received many such revelations, all of which were written down by scribes at the time of revelation to become the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, a religion that is practiced by nearly one-quarter of the world's population and holds as its most sacred tenet that there is no god but God.

Through a clear text and stunning illustrations based upon those of traditional Islamic expression, the award-winning artist Demi here introduces the remarkable life of the Prophet Muhammad for young readers.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Demi (Gandhi; 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. (July) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Karen Leggett

The title of Muhammad is gilded on a royal purple background dusted with gold. Brilliant yellows, greens and blues fill each page as Demi re-creates the look and feel of ancient Persian miniatures. Muhammad is shown from infancy to adulthood to that glorious cover as a silhouette in gold. "In keeping with Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad and his family have not been depicted in this book." However, even though the book is endorsed by several Muslim scholars and speakers, just the silhouette of Muhammad will offend other Muslims. This in itself reminds Americans that the Muslim faithful are as diverse as people who practice other major religions. Muhammad's name in the text is always written as devout Muslims would write it, followed by "peace be upon him" in Arabic. The vocabulary will sometimes be above the youngest readers ("eternal and infallible word of God"), but Demi's dramatic artwork does indeed illustrate the text. There is a reference to the "will of God, who is one being, not a Trinity" without explaining this Christian term, which even some Christian children may not understand. The book is not simply the description of Islam that you would find in a textbook, but a biography of Muhammad from a religious perspective. While Muslims will disagree about details of the presentation, the book is intended to honor the life and accomplishments of Muhammad as the prophet who first established the Islamic faith. The book is appropriate for elementary and middle school libraries, classroom use during holidays, and comparative religion classes even at the high school level. 2003, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster,

School Library Journal

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.

Kirkus Reviews