A winning tale to be shared over and over.
Olympic fencer Muhammad, co-author Ali, and illustrator Aly team up for another tale about young Faizah.
Faizah adores summer Fridays, attending Jummah prayers at the mosque with her mom and big sister, Asiya. Faizah loves fencing lessons, too—except when she must perform in front of her peers. Are they staring at her because she’s messing up? Faizah prefers to fade into the background: At the mosque, she feels safe in the crowd behind the imam, and at home, she shadows Asiya’s fencing moves. When the coach asks if she’ll compete in the fencing tournament, Faizah is reluctant. But after her mom imparts some wise words on courage (“Water the roots for the right reasons, and bravery will grow. Exactly when you need it to”), Faizah learns step by step how to show her skills in front of people, so that when it’s the right time to be bold, she can step out from the crowd. This heartwarming story centering a Black Muslim family and their community showcases lessons from Muhammad—the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics—about fitting in, faith, and confidence. With Eid on the horizon for Faizah and her family, her busy summer days and anticipation of the holiday result in a vividly depicted milestone in a young girl’s life. Aly’s energetic illustrations reach new heights with compositions that get inside Faizah’s mind and heart.
A winning tale to be shared over and over. (authors’ notes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780759555716
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
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