Going to Mecca

"Come with the pilgrims
as they set out on a journey,
a journey of patience
to the city of Mecca."

We are led on the journey of a lifetime to the city of Mecca — the pilgrimage known to Muslims as the Hajj. The pilgrims walk with heads bare and feet in sandals; they call to Allah; they kiss or point to the Black Stone, as the Prophet did. Arriving at Mecca, they surge round the Ka'aba, shave their heads and travel to Mount Arafat. Finally, though their bodies are tired and aching, their spirits are uplifted, knowing that with thousands of others they have performed the sacred pilgrimage.

This is a window on to a sacred journey for Muslims the world over — beautifully described and illustrated for younger children.

Na’ima B Robert is descended from Scottish Highlanders on her father's side and the Zulu people on her mother's side. She was brought up in Zimbabwe and went on to university in London.
Her novels for teens, From Somalia with Love and Boy vs Girl were warmly received by reviewers, as was her picture book Ramadan Moon, illustrated by Shirin Adl. Robert has four children and divides her time between London and Cairo.
Valentina Cavallini was born and brought up in Milan, Italy. She studied Illustration at Chelsea School of Art and Design and the University of the West of England, Bristol, where she now lives. In 2007 her illustrations were chosen for the Bologna Book Fair Illustrators' Exhibition and toured Japan and Korea. Going to Mecca is Cavallini's first published picture book.