This is something Dr. Phil would always say on his show and I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. Thing about getting older though is that you have a chance to see perceptions change. What was acceptable at one time can change over the ages and I guess I was a weird kid because I […]

There’s a wonderful hadith that I’m reminded of. It might even be one of my favorites, and I want to share it with you. Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: Take advantage of five (things) before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, […]

This is a strange thing for me to write and even to admit to, but there have been times, over the twenty year course of my school presentations, where I’ve been ambushed by teachers, educators or other professionals who’ve taken umbrage to something I’ve said. I’ve actually written about it before, unfortunately when I was […]

A couple of weeks ago I went on a road trip with my son and daughter to view the fall colors. What an amazing experience! A real rejuvenation! We drove up the Bruce peninsula to Tobermory! Tobermory! Doesn’t the name just conjure up images of Jack Pine, golden birches, brilliant blue fall sky and rugged […]

It’s so weird to be tangentially part of a little controversy. Recently first lady Melania Trump sent out packages of books to libraries around America and she picked, of all books to send, a bunch of Dr. Seuss books. As if all libraries don’t already carry them! Well Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote a public post […]

I’m heading off to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow evening. Very excited! My second time going there, and I was sad to leave the last time. I’m going to be doing a session at the Comel -The Magic of Picture Books conference. Malaysia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world! And so friendly! Last […]

Some times you’re so busy just trying to write the next book that you forget that your work is out there in the world. Someone might be reading it even as I’m writing this and it’s having an impact. Insha Allah it’s having an impact. It’s not like I haven’t received fan mail over the […]

Subhan Allah, the physical beauty of the country I call home, takes my breath away at times. A few days after the whirlwind that was Eid, I left on a week vacation with my son. We went on a bus tour of the Maritimes. The Maritimes is the far eastern region of Canada with a […]

Came across an interesting Ted Talk. I ended up reading the transcript instead of watching it. I find I often get more from reading something than listening to it. It was actually about marketability and it said what a lot of people are saying these days, that in order to get noticed in this day […]

than mislead you with a lie” Many years ago, I heard a beautiful ballad on the radio called “Sometimes When We Touch…” and it was that particular line that really struck home with me. Oh the love stuff was nice, but at the time it kind of made me squirm, a bit too intimate. And […]