Author Highlight: Robyn Thomas
It’s hard to believe that the sacred month of Ramadan is just around the corner! One of Ruqaya’s Bookshelf’s five titles that are centred around this special month is Robyn Thomas’ lovely picture book, Rami the Ramadan Cat.
This story for Muslim children has an intriguing backstory—one that’s rooted in the real-life experience of its author, Robyn Thomas. Who is Robyn, how did she come to write this story, and what’s its significance to her?
Robyn Thomas is a woman who has worn many hats, including high school English teacher, reading specialist, and volunteer at a cat rescue clinic! She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and she now lives in the Midwest with her family.
Robyn wrote Rami the Ramadan Cat many years ago, when her children were young, and it’s based on a true story! As Robyn recounts, her family once found a lost kitty climbing the fence in their backyard, and it happened to be the first day of Ramadan. Finding this cute kitty who needed their help was quite the Ramadan gift, so she and her family named him Rami.
That’s where the inspiration for writing Rami the Ramadan Cat came from: Robyn wanted to remember the special kitty that stayed with them. “I wanted to honor Rami since we had been blessed with the opportunity to take care of him,” she says. “He ended up finding another home when we moved, but we… took good care of him while he lived with us.”
But there’s another reason why writing this story for—and about—Muslim children was important to Robyn. “I wrote Rami the Ramadan Cat at a time when very few children’s books existed with Muslim characters or Islamic themes here in North America,” she says. “I wanted to create a book that my own kids could read, and where they would see themselves reflected in the pages.”
This is where the author’s vision overlapped with that of Ruqaya’s Bookshelf, whose core mission is to provide high-quality books for Muslim children, featuring Muslim protagonists that young readers can relate to.
In Rami the Ramadan Cat, the main character, Saleem, has just moved to a new city, and he hasn’t yet made any friends. That’s why Ramadan doesn’t feel as festive as usual—until he finds a new friend clinging to the backyard fence! Saleem names his newfound pet Rami, just like Robyn and her family did, and the kitty’s presence fills his new home with joy and companionship. That is, until he realizes that Rami misses his old home. Will Saleem keep Rami to himself, or will he try to find its real owners so the kitty can stop feeling homesick?
This story is relatable to children on many levels. Like Saleem, all children experience loneliness sometimes, and they also frequently face difficult decisions. Sometimes doing the right thing can be very hard!
Robyn recognizes this struggle, which she believes is important to represent in children’s books. She also believes that picture books can convey both engaging stories and food for thought: “Even in their simplicity, there are lessons there for people of all ages.”
Robyn hopes to write more stories, and she’s thankful for independent Muslim publishers like Ruqaya’s Bookshelf. “Without it, I’m not sure Rami the Ramadan Cat would have been published,” she says. “And the number of reviews I’ve read and the number of people I’ve spoken with who have loved the story make me thankful that this story got to see the light of day because Ruqaya’s Bookshelf took a chance on it.”
Click here to add this story to your bookshelf, check out our other Ramadan titles, and browse the rest of our book collection!
