SUUBAN'S FIRST DAY

A young nomad living in the desert of Somalia reaches a significant milestone.

Every morning, Suuban helps feed the goats, the camels, and the sheep. But she longs for the day when she can herd the goats all by herself. Her ayeeyo (grandmother) says she’ll be ready when her two front teeth fall out. Meanwhile, she practices herding the baby goats around the huts. Time passes. The rains fall, the frogs sing, and finally Suuban’s front teeth are gone! And on her first day herding the goats by herself, she follows Ayeeyo’s instructions carefully to protect the animals from the sneaky fox and other dangers of the desert. Suuban is a darling protagonist whose eagerness is tangible and contagious. Readers will cheer her on and will be impressed by her courage. Depicting both sunny sweet daytime scenes and lush nighttime moments, Ònájìn’s illustrations endearingly portray both human and animal characters and evoke the vastness of the desert. Thoughtfully grounded in the child’s perspective, Salh’s third-person narration blends with the art for a moving glimpse at a deep, respectful relationship between grandparent and grandchild and the desert that they call home. Readers will crave more of Suuban’s adventures. In an author’s note, Salh describes growing up in Somalia with her own grandmother.

An utterly enticing tale of independence, growth, and familial bonds.