Papatia Feauxzar

Black Muslim Kid Literature

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tales with mimi

#muslimbloggersagainstracism

Dear Friends,

As if the virus of 2020 wasn’t wreaking enough havoc, we humans come face to face with the ugly virus that lives inside many.

A cure or vaccine for Corona virus may be found but can humans create a vaccine for racism while they’re at it?

As parents we may not be able to change the minds of others but we are capable of vaccinating our children from being white-washed. To do that we must fill our shelves with diverse content written by POC’s.

Join us in breaking the silence and vaccinating future generations by following the hashtag #muslimbloggersagainstracism

Board Book
🌟My First Muhammad Ali Little People Big Dreams

Phonics readers

🌟Yak in the back by Karimah Alhark & Jamila Alqarnain
Picture books
🌟What am I by Papatya Feauxzar @fofkys
🌟Treasures of Jannah by Yasmin Egala
🌟Ramadan without Daddy by Misbah Akhtar
🌟Your life matters by…

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PRESS RELEASE : “WHAT AM I? BOOK 2” BY ASIILA IMANI & PAPATIA FEAUXZAR

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Between Sisters, SVP!

New Release! Book Launch and Blog Tour wami 2 final 5 20 19

A MUSLIM PICTURE BOOK DEDICATED TO MULTI-ETHNICITY CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD

DALLAS, TX — June 1st, 2019. DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING has officially released What Am I ? Book 2 by African American Muslim Author Asiila Imani and Ivorian American Muslim Author Papatia Feauxzar.

About the main character : Toa Idris is six years old. One of his favorite things to do is listening to G-Ma tell him about his rich ancestral roots. Sometimes Toa becomes a little confused. G-Ma says that his people come from many places: islands in the Pacific Ocean, the west coast of Africa, Europe, China, and the original Native Americans. What race can Toa be? Join Toa as he uncovers the answer to this question.

1. Why did you decide to co-author What Am I? Book2 ?

After receiving a copy of WHAT AM I? Book 1, which coincided with the birth of my…

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Muslim Mums in Business – Djarabi Kitabs Publishing and Fofky’s

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My Muslim Mums in Business series focus’s on inspirational Muslim women, who are balancing the art of motherhood along with running businesses.

 

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Please introduce yourself and your business.

I go under the pen name of Papatia Feauxzar; a name that embodies my Ivorian and Turkish heritage. I’m now a naturalized American citizen alhamdullilah. Djarabi Kitabs Publishing and Fofky’s are my home businesses. They both compliment each other; one being a publishing house and the other being a bookstore alhamdullilah. The goal is help make quality Muslim contributions seen and curate our Islamic History and contribution to the world.

 

What inspired you to start working from home? Did anyone in particular inspire you?

Many things did. Islamophobia was one aspect of it and I wanted to homeschool my son. I also wanted to witness all his firsts. Nobody in particular inspired me; Allah did. I decided to make the change I wanted to see when I saw many Muslim writers complain about the erasure and lack of support they faced. Finally, I have always wanted to be a writer and a female scholar. So, I’m doing my part to see these dreams to come life insha’Allah.

 

Is your family supportive of you being a working mother?

Yes, they are now. It was with a lot of conflict and keeping my grounds though. Alhamdullilah ala kulli haal.

 

What are the main challenges you face as a mum and an entrepreneur?

My main challenge is to force myself to enjoy my personal time and my family. One should always cherish one’s family first and before everything. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and I’m glad I didn’t learn that the hard way or lived to regret not giving them the attention they deserve. Keeping my stress levels low too are also a challenge but with dua, I manage to obtain sakinah of mind, body, and soul through constant dhikr and listening to the Quran.

 

Describe a typical working day. Are there specific times in the day that you work on your business? You have a number of businesses/projects running together. Does it all sometimes become a bit overwhelming trying to manage them all.

A typical day starts after tahajud. Often times, it’s hard for me to sleep until after fajr prayer when I pray it. But on days I don’t pray tahajud, the day starts after fajr. I look at my list of things to do and start planning mentally. I get my son and my husband out of the way by attending to their needs. Then, I start cooking, cleaning, checking emails while listening to the Quran. By noon, I’m usually done with my chores and to-do list of things set for the day. I do all this while interacting with my son and checking on him periodically as he plays or teach him a couple things here and there. I also teach him new words, manners, I hug him, I kiss him or I scold him nicely if he is being naughty. Then, we pray and get ready to go outside so he can get another kind of interaction; children’s play. I do dhikr while he plays with other children. I’m more productive with my remembrance of Allah when he plays. I understood that children’s play actually is a blessing on Moms to help them relax. So, I take fully advantage of my child’s plays. We both benefit from this activity alhamdullilah. While we are out, I also run errands, mail packages, etc. When we return, he eats and naps, and I pray. I get dinner ready and when the hubby gets home, I get to perform some self-care and/or complete more things on my to-do list alhamdullilah. All this seems overwhelming at times but I calm down and do one thing at a time while supplicating and before I know it, I have had a productive day alhamdullilah.

 

What are the pros and cons about being a working mum from home?

Cons: It’s more than a full-time job. It can be stressful just thinking about it.

Pros: It’s rewarding and you realize that there is ease with hardship. I witness so much by raising my son myself. I have become a little more grateful for any small to big blessings bestowed upon me and us. I have learned not to take anything for granted.

 

On your toughest days, what helps keep you motivated?

Filling my book of deeds with good deeds always keeps me motivated. I try not to loose sight of Jannah al-Firdaus. I’m not saying all this to come off holier than anyone or calmer than anyone. I say this because it has taken me a lot of practice and a lot of patience to reach this level of self-motivation. Having said that, bad moments in a day happen, and I try not to capitalize on them. I let them go and refocus on positivity alhamdullilah.

 

Where would you like to see your business in the future?

I would like it to be seen as an accredited House of Wisdom type of historic contribution insha’Allah.

 

What advice would you give to mums considering taking the step of being a working mum? 

Children are the joy in the journey. Children are the comfort to the stress you will face as a working mom. Embrace the challenge. Working moms can do it and Allah didn’t burden us. He knew we can handle the load with true dedication to a well-balanced lifestyle. Let’s be Khadijah al-Kubra radiallahu anhu; business-savvy woman in a tough and restricting society, modest, knowledgeable, respected, mother of believers, garment to a spouse, and all the great things she is known to have done or been insha’Allah. Age was just a number.

 

JazakAllah Khair to sister Papatia for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions! You can connect with her further at: Djarabi Kitabs Publishing and Fofky’s.

Papatia fofky

If you are a Muslim mum with a business and would like to feature then drop me a message in sha Allah.

Original article.

The Ducktrinors I & II – A Review by The Tsundoku Chronicles

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“I really enjoyed this book. It was so nice to see Muslim characters and I love that more books are coming out with Muslim rep. When I first heard of the book I was really intrigued as it was a science fiction book and I don’t really see that in Islamic fiction.
I enjoyed reading this from the first page. I really liked how brave and courageous that Hanifa was as she lived in a world where any small indication that you practice and religious activity is punishable by death. So no one can pray, fast or anything else that shows you practice a faith. It’s a world where technological advancement is the most important thing. She eventually becomes the leader of a rebellion in which people seek the freedom to practice their religion and she goes in search of the people of cave.
She also gains the support of her siblings and grandfather. I also liked her brother Malik who also plays a main role. We see everything happening from both their point of views.
I loved how the history of the world is shown to us with memories and flashbacks. The plot is great and kept me interested throughout and i loved the build up. It’s definitely worth reading especially for teenagers and young adults.”— The Tsundoku Chronicles

Rating: 4/5

the ducktrinors rrathon

Episode 31 with guest Papatia Feauxzar Author of The Ducktrinors (Book I & Book II)

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Episode 31 with guest Papatia Feauxzar Author of The Ducktrinors (Book I & Book II)

 

Recently I was able to review ‘The Ducktrinors Books 1 And 2 ‘YA. It was a nice change to read a YA book for Muslims, it had a lot of Islamic history and tradition but also addressed some of the issues that Young Muslims are facing in today’s Society. As a mom of pre-teens Its exciting to finally have books for their age group and older.

The Novel was written by Papatia Feauxzar an American author, barista, and publisher of West African descent living in Dallas, Texas with her son and husband. She holds a master’s degree in Accounting with a concentration in Personal Finance. After working as an accountant for a corporate firm for almost five years, Feauxzar decided to pursue Accounting from home while homeschooling her son. She is currently working toward obtaining her CPA license. Feauxzar then plans to obtain her Ph.D. in Accounting. Feauxzar also blogs at Between Sisters, SVP! or A Ducktrinor Mom. She is the Love and Relationship Editor at Hayati Magazine, and she has written for AboutIslam, MVSLIM, and SISTERS Magazine. You can visit her websites at www.djarabikitabs.com or www.fofkys.com.

Summary:

“The world is coming to an end and Hanifa Ducktrinor can feel it. The seculars rule the world. And keeping the sunnah and the deen intact becomes a challenge then. Hanifa, the cadette of the Ducktrinor family, is a courageous young Muslim living in a time where practicing her religion is really hard. She wants to be the courageous educated Coreishy woman she dreams of every day.

She also wants to find the people of the cave and fights alongside with them, Jesus (Issa-aleihi salam), and Mahdi with the vouching cloud when the cave opens and the prediction about Yajud and Majud (Gog and Magog) will occur. When the opportunity presents itself to Hanifa to fight for her dreams, she realizes that she might have gotten in way over her head at the Battle of the Stadium.

Her brother Malik wants to be a teacher. And he knows that be a scholar, you must have ilm-knowledge, amal-obedience to Islam do and don’ts, and ikhlas-doing everything only to please Allah subhana wa ta ala. Malik Ducktrinor really knows this. Since childhood, he has always striven for a steadfast faith so that he could perform a keeramat. Thus, he learned the deen and took his connection to His Creator seriously. Will Malik be able to save the day at the Battle of the Stadium?”

In this Episode we discussed

  • Why Papatia chose a young Adults Novel
  • Which is harder being an Author or Publisher?
  • Which Characters we liked the most
  • How Papatia balances, being a Wife, Mother, Author, Publisher, Accountant, and Blogger.

Here is where you can Purchase the book:

Amazon eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BRHLSCD

Amazon paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947148109

Immediate press release: https://www.djarabikitabs.com/bloge/2018/3/7/press-release-the-ducktrinors-book-i-book-ii-by-papatia-feauxzar

Djarabi Kitab Publishing website: https://www.djarabikitabs.com/bookstore/the-ducktrinors-book-i-book-ii 

Thank you for listening, Don’t forget to Subscribe in iTunes and leave a rate and review so more people can find the podcast.

Original article.

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE : THE DUCKTRINORS BOOK I & BOOK II BY PAPATIA FEAUXZAR

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A MUSLIM YOUNG ADULT BOOK CENTERED AROUND THE DEEN

DALLAS, TX — March 28th, 2018. DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING officially released  The Ducktrinors Book I & Book II by American and Black Muslim Author, Papatia Feauxzar.

The author has written in many genres but she still feels like a child at heart. “I wrote ‘The Ducktrinors‘ to inspire the Muslim Youth so that they realize that they have more than enough Muslim heroes to fashion themselves after.” — Papatia Feauxzar

DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING is republishing tome I titled Hanifa with the much awaited tome II titled Malik with this edition.

“Papatia’s work is addicting in that love of the craft is immistakable through her skill. I’m seriously enraptured with the level of detail involved with everything from content to technical aspects of The Ducktrinors and as a word nerd myself I now aspire to the honor of reviewing all her works… Papatia’s world is one of style. May it be laced with Divine grace…it is as Allah wills…”— Maryam Miller, Maryam Miller Writes

“Finally! Papatia Feauxzar has tapped her distinct noveling style into a fast-paced, futuristic novel with a decidedly Muslim flavor. As one of Papatia’s editors, I think that I’ve read almost all of her stories, and Ducktrinors is definitely my favorite, so far. Although it’s written mostly for a younger audience, Papatia has crafted another fun, slightly-awkward, but smart female protagonist in Hanifa Ducktrinor, and I enjoyed watching her problem-solve to save the world (and her own behind!)… I’m also excited that this is a series, as we just don’t get enough of them! Looking forward to more and more from Papatia, insha’Allah.”— Brooke Benoit, A Clichéd Life

“This book is a mixture of sci-fi, futuristic, and it also has a strong Islamic theme. Hanifa and her team have surely grown on me and I can see them being likable amongst the teens. The good versus evil reminded me a lot of the end of times.”— Mrs. Shoohada Khanom, Children Book Author of Kamilah the Butterfly, Imagine, Who Could I Be, and Little Blue Skater Boy.

“… Unique – in a great way. It blends sci-fi, futuristic, and dystopia pretty well. Neat gadgets – mechanical horse and some other tech ideas were pretty neat. Sylas is a bad guy people can hate. Dawud is a great side character. Jihad gets a bad rap these days because of the crazy people running around with suicide bombs. It’s interesting to see the Secular sect portrayed as the bad guys.”— Julie C.Gilbert, The Collins Case (Heartfelt Cases Book 1)

“…This is a wonderful story, written beautifully and filled with great Islamic historical references. It was breathtaking to read a story so relevant today. From the outset you are deeply connected to the main character and her struggles and you’re gripped to read on and discover what will be of her and her family. Such a great, exciting read, with highs and lows and a story that really does take you on a journey of what it means to be Muslim for Hanifa.”— Sarah Javed, Author of I’m So Angry!

The Ducktrinors Book I & Book II additionally received several acclaimed feedback and critics from editors. Feauxzar shared one with us.

“I love that you feature a Muslim protagonist whose faith is important to her, and this aspect of her life is a huge part of the story, yet the genre itself is a poignant (and timely) sci-fi/dystopian. So cool! …One of your best writing assets in this draft is your ability to write engaging, authentic dialogue (yay!). This is no easy feat! “— Kate Angelella, Angelella Editorial. Experienced YA/MG editor, formerly of Simon & Schuster Children’s Books.

Join DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING from March 31st to April 4th, 2018 for the blog tour.

About the author:

Papatia Feauxzar is an American author, barista, and publisher of West African descent living in Dallas, Texas with her son and husband. She holds a master’s degree in Accounting with a concentration in Personal Finance. After working as an accountant for a corporate firm for almost five years, Feauxzar decided to pursue Accounting from home while homeschooling her son. She is currently working toward obtaining her CPA license. Feauxzar then plans to obtain her PhD in Accounting.

She also blogs at Between Sisters, SVP! or A Ducktrinor Mom . She is the Love and Relationship Editor at Hayati Magazine. She has written for AboutIslam, MVSLIM, and SISTERS Magazine. You can visit her websites at www.djarabikitabs.com or www.fofkys.com.

The Ducktrinors Book I & Book II is available on Djarabi Kitabs Publishing‘s website , Amazon on eBook, hardback and  paperback formats, and Fofky’s Online Book Cafe.

CONTACTS

Djarabi Kitabs Publishing

PO BOX 703733

Dallas, TX 75370

USA

Email: editor@djarabikitabs.com

Originally published at Djarabi Kitabs Publishing‘s website here.

Essential Books Teaching His 99 Names To Young Muminun

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Bismillah,

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I thought of writing a children’s book with all the 99 names of Allah in it to make it comprehensive but I decided against it. Why? The book will go over the maximum page requirement for traditionally published children’s books. Besides, it will become very vague and not delve deeper in the meaning of the 99 attributes like I want.

Now, there are other books soon to be published and already on the market to teach our young believers all the Names of the The Creator (Al-Khaliq). Check them out!

1. Al-Khaliq (The Creator) by Zainab Jones

Al-Khaliq (The Creator) will be published soon by Djarabi Kitabs Publishing insha’Allah. The story follows little Abdulrahman also known as “Dahumie” as he uncovers that Allah created all that exist. It’s a very cute and fun story showing a love bond between a mother and her son masha’Allah. The author plans on writing 5 more books in the series bi’ithnillah. Masha’Allah! We pray that Allah fulfill her dreams and make them mubarak for her, ameen.

Susan Zainab Jones’ book 1 will be available on Amazon and here insha’Allah.

2. The One  by  Manaal Jafrey-Razaque

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“The One is a 32 page children’s book in The Fundamental Series of Author Manaal Jafrey-Razaque…The One will for sure help us raise young believers by teaching them 18 out of the 99 names of Allah. That said the book is not preachy at all. The drawings of everything Allah created are cute and inviting throughout the book. My son cooed with delight at the illustrations. It was precious masha’Allah…”— Papatia Feauxzar, A Ducktrinor Mom. Read the rest of the review here .

 

3. Allah Al-Aleem by Bint Abdul Hamid

Allah Al-Aleem Front Cover

“Allah Al-Aleem is a must have for young Muslim readers and young muminun. It exposes them early on to the qualities of their Al-Khaliq (The Creator)*. Children have so many questions. We try to answer them as much as we can and sometimes we fall short. For instance, “Mommy, why is the sky blue?” The answer to this question will not be a short reply to small minds…” — Papatia Feauxzar, A Ducktrinor Mom. Read the rest of the review here.

 

4. Al-Haseeb (The Accountant, the Reckoner, the Bringer to Account)?) by Moi!

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I’ve been working on this story for a while now. Insha’Allah when things slow down work wise, I’ll focus on getting it out insha’Allah. It’s befitting wouldn’t you say so *wink* ? I hope that with this story young muminun learn early on that they need to :

  • Take responsibility for their actions and reflect upon them daily
  • Strive to live an honest life
  • Seek constant repentance
  • Display good sunnah courtesy manners
  • Realize that Allah is sufficient for them and that they should only rely on him. Even though we are their parents, their ultimate loyalty should stay with Al-Haseeb insha’Allah.

 

Jazakh’Allah khair for reading,

~A Ducktrinor Mom~