StoneFaruq

Assalaamu’alaikum Warahmat’ullah

I start in the midst of uncompleted websites, a couple of unfinished books, maybe close to completion (more of these later), and 2 other books (The Jolly Jamaat + Time for Isha’a), now printed, piled up in boxes and waiting for bookshops to take them from us. We’re still at the beginning of this publishing endeavour, but it’s taken some time to even reach this stage.

In short, where it started from, was a dissatisfaction with the choice of books that are available to Muslim children, not to say that there are no good ones, there are many from publishers like The Islamic Foundation and others, but there are not enough. We hope to make a positive contribution to our children insha’Allah, and provide a range of books that will entertain and educate insha’Allah.

The ‘we’ I refer to are the Stone (the missus) and Faruq (me) of StoneFaruq, this operation is a 2 person show right now. Time for Isha’a and The Jolly Jamaat are out of the door now, but insha’Allah we hope the standard of books will only get better, and I feel many of our best books are still to come. It was just chance that the first 2 books we released happened to be rhyming/counting books. The 2 that are near completion now, insha’Allah, are also pre-school books, but on different topics.

Allah lets us have fun is done is the same torn paper collage style as Time for Isha’a, but the rhyme speaks about the kind of everyday things we (or the kids in the book), can do, the blessings of Allah we all take for granted. Time to Pray is the other book nearing completion, done in simple sillouette illustrations, emphasises the importance of prayer, in this particular case, praying Fajr in jamaat.

Insha’Allah I will do my best to keep you updated about the latest goings on at SF, which will be easier once I actually have an internet connection at home, and particulatrly on the first books for older children, which we hope to get out sometime in ‘09 insha’Allah.

Wassalaamu’alaikum Warahmat’ullah