#hatem aly

[meschersyeux]

The Inquisitor’s Tale; Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog Written by Adam Gidwitz and illuminated by Hatem Aly

[underthetweed]

The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Aaaaaaah I didn’t know she’d written a picture book! It’s so beautiful!?!?! And it pubs the day after my birthday!

[ackb]

I get up early every day and often stay up later than I'd like. I am freaking exhausted all the time. When my head hits the pillow, I'm out. But the last two days I've been sick, and with the book turned in and Ondiru on with the kids all weekend, I actually slept all the sleep. Then this forking book comes along and I can't put the damn thing down and because I'm actually relatively well rested for the first time in years, I stayed up three hours past my bedtime finishing it. I've been bawling my little eyes out for, like, an hour. tl;dr I love this book so much.

[illustration-alcove]

Hatem Aly’s illustrated book cover for Adam Gidwitz and Jesse Casey’s The Unicorn Rescue Society: The Creature of the Pines.

[illustration-alcove]

Hatem Aly’s illustrated book cover for Adam Gidwitz and Jesse Casey’s The Unicorn Rescue Society: The Basque Dragon.

[ecreads]

Title: The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family

Author: Ibtihaj Muhammad, S. K. Ali

Illustrator: Hatem Aly

Published: September 10th, 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre & Format: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Picture Book

Key Themes: Bullying, Family, Girls & Women, Muslim Stories, School, Self-Esteem

Reading Level: Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade

Language: English

ISBN: 9780316519007

Content Warnings:

Bullying

Islamophobia

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school–and two sisters on one’s first day of hijab–by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.

With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.

Paired with Hatem Aly’s beautiful, whimsical art, Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Morris Award finalist S.K. Ali bring readers an uplifting, universal story of new experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being proud of who you are.”

Review: Muslim Mummies

“The story is about Asiya, who picks her first day hijab and told through the eyes of her younger sister. Asiya picks a bright blue hijab ready for school.

The story explores how other children will ask what it is, even showing that some children may laugh.

Some people won’t understand your hijab, Mama had said. But if you understand who you are, one day they will too.

The book doesn’t even shy away from some of the hurtful words that can be used by other children such as ‘tablecloth’. Going on to explain not to carry around hurtful words and to continue to be strong.

[...]

“We all enjoyed reading this book. The book definitely deserves being on our book shelf, not just because I am trying to find more diverse books, but because it is such an important topic. There is no denying that hijab can be difficult to wear, and this book gently touches on the bullying that children may face should they choose to wear it and reminding them to be strong and proud of who they are.”

Additional Resources:

Purchase

PBS Let’s Learn Read-Along

[hipmamajenn]

New Yasmin Books! Great Early Readers By Houston Author Saadia Faruqi

New Yasmin Books! Great Early Readers By Houston Author Saadia Faruqi

Author Saadia Faruqiburst onto the children’s literary scene with the introduction of her Yasmin series in 2018. Published both individually and in a collection, the stories of the spunky, strong and smart Yasmin won rave reviews from critics, praise from teachers and the love of children. Although directed at ages 5-8 the combination of her humorous adventure stories and the whimsical, bold…

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[jewishbookworld]

The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz

The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz

Hatem Aly (Illustrator)

1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon. On the run to escape prejudice and persecution and save precious and holy texts from being burned, their…

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