5 stars
An absolutely fantastic read! Beautifully-written with gorgeous illustrations. This is a lovely book.
One of the aspects of the book that I really liked is that the hijab is not presented as an obstacle of any sort in the story. It is not something the characters are embarrassed by or learn to accept. It is something they love and are proud of. Bullying and others’ opinions do come in and the characters must deal with them, but at no point is the hijab shown as a negative thing or something to be ashamed of. This is a very positive presentation, which is fantastic. I have read a few books in which the character has to learn to accept the hijab and how people treat them, but it is nice to see a book that takes such a positive viewpoint and presents it as something important to the characters.
The book is written in a lovely way, combining real-world events and poetic narrative. I loved the lyrical language in the descriptions, especially in the emphasis on color (“Asiya’s hijab is like the ocean and the sky, no line between them, saying hello with a loud wave.”). The illustrations paired perfectly with this, blending the everyday with the fantastical.
This story shows the proud, confident, optimistic side of wearing hijab. It does not steer away from the topics of bullies and others not understanding, but focuses on more positive aspects and shows how to deal with negativity. A wonderful story with beautiful artwork. This is an amazing read.