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NOOR NEEDS TO KNOW!

Name: NOOR NEEDS TO KNOW!
Author: Farhana Islam
ISBN: 9781665957854

by Farhana Islam ; illustrated by Nabila Adani ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2024

A sweet but slightly lacking exploration of hijab.

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A young girl wonders why the women in her family wear headscarves.

Noor knows that her mother’s hijab isn’t her hair, a towel, or a hat. It looks similar to the headscarves worn by Noor’s aunt and sister, though it differs from her maternal grandmother’s niqab and the loosely draped scarf worn by her paternal grandmother. Why do they all wear hijab? Noor wonders if they’re storing snacks underneath. Or maybe they’re trying to avoid catching lice? Her busy family members dismiss her inquiries. Finally, Noor’s mother tells her that the hijab is part of who she is as a Muslim woman: “We are believers. We are dreamers…My hijab is where I find peace, and it is where I dare to find power.” Though it’s a poignant explanation, some readers may wonder if the omission of religious doctrine is deliberate. Some of Noor’s questions echo the invasive queries Muslim women often encounter (“Is it so nobody can see when you’re having a bad hair day?”). Noor’s description of her niqabi grandmother as mysterious and “secretive” feels like an othering portrayal of Muslim women. Vibrant illustrations depict a variety of textiles, patterns, and decor, and Adani pays special attention to how context influences when characters wear hijab. Noor and her family are cued as Bangladeshi.

A sweet but slightly lacking exploration of hijab. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 21, 2024

ISBN: 9781665957854

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
IBRAHEEM'S PERFECT EID
by Farhana Islam ; illustrated by Nabila Adani

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)