DETROIT — Hanadi Rashad, a teacher at the Annoor Islamic Center in Clemmons, North Carolina, has written a book that helps Muslim children living in the United States learn Arabic. 

Rashad says that while in many Arab countries children are taught the Arabic language by professional instructors and speak it in class or at home, that is not always the case in the United States. 

She says learning Arabic is crucial to being able to read and recite from the Quran. The book, “Little Reader 3 Steps Towards Reading Quran: From Alif to Alif Laam Meem,” can be purchased on Amazon.com. 

Rashad also has published several YouTube videos under the title “Play and Learn Arabic with Koko.” The videos allow Muslim children to learn the language through a puppet named Koko.  

Rashad, who is from Sudan, initially started working on the book in 2010. The book is making it more affordable to learn Arabic. Not all families are in the financial position to hire an Arabic tutor for their children. She also hopes the book helps Muslim children learn Arabic in areas around the country that do not necessarily have a concentration of Arab Americans or mosques  near them. Typically, mosques offer Arabic learning programs. Rashad plans on publishing two additional Arabic learning books in the future.