Nizrana Farook explores the Eid festival in Eid for Nylah
About Author
Eid for Nylah explores the festival of Eid through the eyes of a young cat. It is Nizrana Farook's first picture book. Her books also include The Girl Who Lost a Leopard, The Boy Who Met a Whale and The Girl Who Stole an Elephant.
Nizrana was born and raised in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the beautiful landscapes of her home country find their way into the stories she writes. She has a master's degree in writing for young people, and lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two daughters.
You can follow her on X at @NizRite.
Interview
Nizrana Farook celebrates Eid in her picture book, Eid for Nylah (Nosy Crow)
February 2025
Eid for Nylah is a celebration of Eid, and follows the antics of a young cat, Nylah, on the eve of Eid al-Fitr as she visit the local families and find out how each of them celebrates this special Muslim festival.
We spoke with author Nizrana Farook, well known for her children's adventures including The Boy Who Saved a Bear and The Girl Who Stole an Elephant, to find out more about her new picture book, Eid for Nylah, which is illustrated by Zelma Firdauzia.
Q&A with Nizrana Farook, introducing Eid for Nylah
"Eid is such a big part of life in Muslim households that it's important for children, both those who celebrate it
and those who don't, to know a little bit about it."
1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone to tell us more about your new picture book, Eid for Nylah. Can you begin by telling us a little about yourself and what brought you into writing for children?
I'm an author of middle grade and am now dipping my toe into writing for a much younger audience with Eid for Nylah. I adored books as a child (and I adore them still!), and this is what brought me to writing for children. There is something so deliciously exciting, something new to be discovered, with every book. I enjoy writing adventure stories, and lately I've enjoyed fantasy and mystery writing, too.
2. You're well known for your middle grade children's adventures, so why did you decide to write your first picture book for younger children?
This story is a little more personal for me in the sense that I got to write something close to my own life and childhood. My middle grade adventures are set in my home country, but I didn't, sadly, frolic with leopards and elephants so this one feels more immediate to me. As soon as I heard about the project, I wanted to do it.
3. What is Eid for Nylah about, and why do you feel it's important to share this celebration with young children?
Eid for Nylah is about the joy of Eid. With very young children they might not fully understand the religious significance of Eid, but they do know that something important is happening in their household. It's this feeling, this lovely buzz in the air that you can sense and want to be a part of, that I've tried to convey through Nylah the cat.
Eid is such a big part of life in Muslim households that it's important for children, both those who celebrate and those who don't, to know a little bit about it. I think most children would recognise this feeling and be able to map it to their own celebrations.
4. The story follows the adventures of a young cat, Nylah, on the eve of Eid al-Fitr. What will children learn about how families and communities celebrate Eid through Nylah's adventures?
They will learn that different families have their own ways of celebrating the day. But they all come together to prepare and mark it as a community, through shared food, charitable giving, the congregational Eid prayer or the wider celebration with everyone.
5. Why did you want to include the letter to readers at the end of the book, where you talk about your own Eid celebrations as a child?
This was my editor's idea and I thought it was a lovely touch. Sometimes if a young reader connects with a story they might want some extra background on it. Or they might just be curious about how Eid might actually have been for one particular 'real' household.
6. How do the lovely images by Zelma Firdauzia help to tell the story?
I think they're everything! Zelma is so talented and I've loved working with her. The illustrations work beautifully and I was very excited to see Nylah for the first time through Zelma's work.
7. How would you like to see the picture book being shared with children in homes and classrooms? What kinds of discussions would you like the story to encourage, and are there any activities they could follow up with?
I think it's a lovely way to look at what different people do to prepare for a celebration. Which of these does the young reader have in their own families? Are there other practices not mentioned here that they do or that they've heard of? Maybe they could make a list of all the lovely ways they could mark a festival.
As an activity, why not make a quick and easy Eid sweet treat? This is a no-bake recipe from my niece Areeba, who makes this at Eid ul-Fitr every year.
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1 can of condensed milk (400g)
100g butter
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
Smarties or similar to decorate
1. Heat the butter, cocoa and condensed milk in a pan. An adult should help you with this as the mixture will become very hot.
2. Stir constantly on high heat until it bubbles. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for a further 6-8 minutes until thick.
3. Add the crushed biscuits and mix well, then take off heat.
4. Spread the mixture on a greased tray and leave to cool.
5. When partly cool cut into finger-length bars and decorate with Smarties.
8. What are your most cherished memories of Eid as a child, and what do you most love about the celebrations today?
My most cherished memories are of the whole family together for dinner. We were a large family and we saw each other a lot but it was still lovely to all be together. And even today that's what I enjoy the most. I live in a different country from most of my family now, so seeing them is even more special.
9. What are you writing currently - are you planning more picture books or can middle grade readers look forward to another adventure by you?
I'm not writing a picture book at the moment but I would love to do another at some point. Right now I'm busy with my next novel for children. Oh yes, readers can expect another adventure from me! I've got things up my sleeve!
10. When you're away from your desk, what kinds of adventures do you most enjoy? Where do you go for inspiration for the next story?
I love going to places and seeing new things. It doesn't matter where, I enjoy experiencing historical places especially and imagining being there in their heyday. It gives me such a thrill and I'm always getting ideas for stories that way. It's not necessary to go very far to find inspiration though, even just walking around an unfamiliar part of the neighbourhood gives me a boost.
Eid for Nylah
