Zamzam for Everyone – A Child’s Hajj, A Universal Muslim Story

Razeena Omar Gutta is an acclaimed children’s book author known for her bright and joyful picture books centering young Muslim characters. Her new picture book, Zamzam for Everyone, is her third picture book published with Barefoot Books, and follows a young girl as she experiences Hajj for the first time.

“To place this book in the hands of Muslim children across the world is to connect them with a heritage that spans centuries. And for non-Muslim readers this is a chance to glimpse the beauty and humanity of the sacred journey of Hajj.”

For many Muslims, Hajj is a story we hear about before we can fully comprehend it. It is a sacred journey woven into our earliest memories – watching Tawaaf around the Kaaba on TV or YouTube, visiting friends or family planning to make the trip, receiving special gifts from those who return after Hajj. Over time, this shapes our understanding of worship, sacrifice, and the vast, tender embrace of a global ummah. Hajj is usually something adults experience and talk about, but when I wrote Zamzam for Everyone, I wanted to capture the awe of experiencing Hajj as a child, and the quiet, lifelong imprint it leaves on the heart.

Seeing Hajj Through a Child’s Eyes

As adults, we often describe Hajj through its rituals of tawaaf, sa’ee, the plains of Arafah. But children experience it differently. They see the swirl of people from every corner of the earth, the kindness of strangers, new tastes, new sensations, new imaginings.

For me, going for Hajj as a child meant understanding I am a part of something special, unique. I was one small person in a sea of believers, yet somehow, I felt important. That feeling stayed with me, and it became the seed of Zamzam for Everyone, a book that invites children to see themselves in the story of our holiest places.

A Universal Muslim Experience

Although every Muslim’s journey is unique, there are threads that bind us – the low hum of Qur’an recitation, the way we all face the Ka’bah when we pray, the stories of Hajar, Ibrahim, and Isma’il that are taught to us so young. Hajj, in particular, is a moment where those threads come together. It is where history feels close enough to touch.

Picture books offer a powerful way to express that universality. In just a few hundred words, they can bridge generations, cultures, and languages. They gently place big ideas of faith, belonging, heritage into the smallest of hands. To place this book in the hands of Muslim children across the world is to connect them with a heritage that spans centuries. And for non-Muslim readers this is a chance to glimpse the beauty and humanity of the sacred journey of Hajj.

The Collaborative Wonder Behind a Picture Book

Any mention of Zamzam for Everyone is incomplete without acknowledging the immense effort of the team behind it. While it is my name as author, it is thanks to so many, especially our dear editor, Autumn Allen. Picture books are often read in minutes, but they are created over years. The collaborative process is nothing short of magical. Working with my agent first, then editor and the Barefoot Books team meant unpacking memories, refining language, and shaping the story’s emotional arc. And when the art began to emerge, Bassent’s glowing illustrations uplifted, detailed, and enhanced each word. Collaboration elevates the work beyond what any one person could do.

A Story for Every Reader

Zamzam for Everyone is a love letter to childhood awe, to sacred places, and to the global Muslim experience. It’s a reminder that our stories matter because they belong to us, and because they enrich the world when shared with honesty and heart.

Whether a reader has never heard of Zamzam or grew up drinking it from tiny cups, whispering prayers, I hope this book opens a door. A door to curiosity, connection, and a deeper appreciation of the stories that shape who we are.

In the end, that is the power of picture books – they plant seeds of understanding long before children learn the words to describe what they feel. And sometimes, those seeds grow into lifelong love – of reading, of faith, and of the stories that guide us.

About the Author

About the Book