Once Upon a Time : Parenting Through Storytelling

This book is the first in a series providing parents with material for the effective Islamic tarbiyah tool of storytelling. Here, Muslim parents will find stories to correct common problem behaviours and instill Islamic concepts in their children. They will also discover how to story tell in a manner that will interest and influence their children.
Hoda Beshir was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. From the age of two, she enjoyed story time with her mother. To her parents’ amazement, at three years old, Hoda began to retell the stories of the prophets, may Allah’s peace be upon them, with expression and passion, reciting the relevant Qur’anic verses within the stories. In elementary school, she discovered her love for creative writing. Throughout her life. she has pursued this hobby through schooling, workshops, and university courses, as well as in her spare time.
Hoda also enjoyed spending time with, caring for, and educating children from a young age. As a preteen and a teenager, she was happy to babysit for family friends and to look after children at community events and halaqahs. Through her work as a counselor at summer day camps and as a teacher at the weekend community school, she rediscovered the educational and persuasive tool of storytelling and all its joys for both the listeners and the teller.
Hoda has completed a university Honour’s Degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s of Education. Upon graduating from Psychology, she was awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal for outstanding achievement. During her university studies, she placed special emphasis on Child Psychology and Children’s Literature. In this book, Hoda combines her conviction of Islam, her knowledge of child and educational psychology, and her talent for creative writing and storytelling to present Islamic concepts, habits, and behaviours through wonderful stories that are sure to excite and interest young children.