DEARBORN – On the eve of Ramadan, three students from Dearborn Public Schools celebrated the signing of their children’s book about a young girl attempting to fast during the holy month. The book, titled Mina’s Ramadan Adventure, is now available on Amazon.

The project began last year as a school assignment by two Muslim American students, Jumana Abbas and Mona Ahmed, along with their Asian American classmate, Thao Ho, who illustrated the book.

The book-signing event was held on Friday at Stout Middle School, where Abbas and Ho read the story to teachers, students and parents in the sixth-grade creative writing class. The three girls graduated from Stout last year before entering high school.

Abbas, now a freshman at Edsel Ford High School, expressed her happiness at seeing her work published. She said she hopes the book will help educate children about Ramadan.

“It’s amazing to see my story recognized as a professional and successful piece,” she said, emphasizing that it was the result of “a lot of hard work.”

The idea for the book emerged in teacher Marla Wiacek’s leadership class at Stout Middle School last year.

“We had a discussion in class, and it naturally came up that students in our schools — especially in elementary grades — see many children’s books about traditional Christian holidays, but not as many about Islamic celebrations,” Wiacek said.

The three students worked on the book for about three weeks — Abbas and Ahmed focusing on writing while Ho created the illustrations. According to Amazon, the book is suitable for children aged 4 to 14.

The story follows 6-year-old Mina, who becomes curious about Ramadan when she sees her parents and teachers fasting. She decides to try fasting from dawn until sunset, just like her parents. However, she ends up taking a bite of her favorite food — pizza — while at school. Her parents reassure her that when she reaches the right age, she will be able to fast just like them.

Initially, Wiacek planned to donate the book to an elementary school in Dearborn.

“But as I read their story — unedited — it was clear that it had value,” she said. “As a former elementary school teacher, I always wished for a book like this in my classroom.”

Wiacek then contacted a book publishing professional who was equally enthusiastic about Mina’s Ramadan Adventure. Soon after, a publishing company arranged a Zoom meeting with the girls and their families to discuss financial details. By last fall, the 41-page book was available for sale on Amazon.

Ho expressed her excitement about the book’s success, saying she was thrilled to have worked on it with “my two best friends throughout middle school.” She and Abbas continue their studies at Edsel Ford High School, while Ahmed has switched to online learning.

The girls and their teacher hope the story not only educates young readers about Ramadan, but also brings them joy through Mina’s journey and the support of her parents.

“The book sends a message,” Wiacek said. “You’ll try, you’ll make mistakes, but that’s okay — there will always be someone to help and support you.”