Lovely art for an important and lyrically told story. But nothing about the history or tradition of hijab, or an explanation of the grammar. (The scarf is not, itself, hijab, but the act of wearing it is, or something like that.) Nothing about the controversy of the inferior status of hidden Muslim women, either; plenty of women wearing full scarves and gowns are raped and murdered by Muslim men all the time, and all the strength one bears will not prevent that. Still, I highly recommend it to anyone who reads picture books, whether classrooms, families, children alone, or adults alone. (read less)

Lovely art for an important and lyrically told story. But nothing about the history or tradition of hijab, or an explanation of the grammar. (The scarf is not, itself, hijab, but the act of wearing it is, or something like that.) Nothing about the controversy of the inferior status of hidden Muslim women, either; plenty of women wearing full scarves and gowns are raped and murdered by (read more)

On the most beautiful day of school, Asiyah wears her hijab for the first time. The first day of wearing a hijab is special. It means being strong. Sister Faizah hears a boy laugh at her and wonders "why?". Then another boy yells, "I am going to pull that tablecloth off your head. Mama says to drown the hurtful words that others say, "they are not yours to keep". The two sisters proudly walk home together in solidarity. Critical Analysis: This mirror/window/sliding door story promotes diversity and fosters being proud of your own identity/cultural identity. Children can learn about the differences in others and appreciate and value that diversity. They could talk about the characters aad judge the appropriateness of the behaviors and predict possible consequences as well as moral and ethical discussion making (especially discussion of bullying) They will be able to make inferences about the feelings of others, develop compassion and empathy, and engaging in prosocial behaviors and through roleplaying Favorite quote: "Asiyah's hijab is like the ocean and the sky no line between them saying hello with a loud wave saying I'll always be here, like sisters, like me and Asiyah." (read less)

On the most beautiful day of school, Asiyah wears her hijab for the first time. The first day of wearing a hijab is special. It means being strong. Sister Faizah hears a boy laugh at her and wonders "why?". Then another boy yells, "I am going to pull that tablecloth off your head. Mama says to drown the hurtful words that others say, "they are not yours to keep". The two sisters proudly (read more)