Color Them Courageous

When the crest of the hill is reached each day, a breathtaking panorama spreads before you.  A vast stretch of water extends farther than your eyes can see.  In places, without land, the sky meets the water.  Lake Michigan, here at the tip of the Mitt, is a reflection of the moods of the sky, giving viewers hues of blue and sometimes imbued with gray.

To see this, really see it, causes a shift in your attitude.  It supplies you with calm and strength.  It reaches out to you, lending you its power.  And make no mistake, this body of water is powerful.  For this reason, this book, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family (Little, Brown and Company, September 10, 2019) written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali and with art by Hatem Aly, made a mark on my heart.  When your eyes blur with tears reading a book, you know it's touched you emotionally.

MAMA HOLDS OUT THE PINK.  MAMA LOVES PINK.

But Asiya shakes her head.

I know why.

The young narrator's older sister is selecting her first-day hijab.  She knows Asiya will favor the bright blue hijab because it's like the ocean and the sky blending as one.  When they leave for school the next day, Faizah knows it will be 

the most beautiful first day of school ever

because she is carrying her new backpack and wearing her light-up shoes but Asiya is wearing her bright blue hijab.

Faizah counts fourteen steps to cross the street, and gazes after her sister, who looks like royalty, as she greets her friends entering sixth grade with her.  In her heart of hearts, Faizah knows her first-day hijab will be the same color as her older sister's hijab.  In line with the younger students, a girl turns to Faizah, whispering a question about her sister's hijab.

For every thought, word or reply spoken during this first day, Faizah counters in her mind with a response further describing her sister's hijab and comparing it to the sky and the ocean.  She also remembers the guidance given by their mother on the importance of wearing a hijab on the first day.  Cruel laughter before school, and taunts at recess do not deter Faizah nor her older sister, Asiya.  

After school Faizah waits for Asiya, and listens for whispers, laughter or taunts.  There are none.  Together the sisters walk hand-in-hand to their home.  As they look at each other, Faizah feels her sister's strength envelope her; a strength born of faith.

When you begin this story written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali  you immediately understand the depth of the bond between the sisters.  By having the younger sister, Faizah, tell us about the first day of school, we are able to experience all the emotions she feels.  It is an intimate portrayal.

The storytelling rhythm supplied by the whispers, laughter and taunts coupled with Faizah's thoughts and her mother's wisdom are moving and powerful for all readers of all ages.  The symbolism of the hijab in comparison to the sky and ocean is marvelous.  There is also a wonderful light-heartedness and joy in Faizah's counting of her steps from one place to the next. Here is a passage.

Asiya's hijab isn't a laugh.

Asiya's hijab is like the ocean waving to the sky.

It's always there, strong and friendly.

Some people won't understand your hijab, Mama had said.

But if you understand who you are, one day they will too.

The illustrations rendered by artist Hatem Aly are beautiful in their depiction, interpretation and elevation of this story. The design of extending Asiya's hijab into an ocean with waves on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case and then changing it to a sky with clouds on the back is brilliant.  In the white space above the sky on the back sits a glowing sun with words introducing the essence of the story.  The ISBN is placed inside one of the clouds.  The look of self-confidence on Asiya's face and the gaze of adoration on Faizah's face are our first glimpse of the tie between these sisters.  Placing Faizah in the paper boat made of notebook paper is pure wonderfulness.  The title text on the front of the jacket is varnished and raised.

These pictures were made

digitally; the textures were done with ink washes and pencil on watercolor paper.  

The opening and closing endpapers begin and offer a continuation of the story.  On the first Faizah, Asiya and their mother are going to the shop to purchase the hijab.  On the last, the girls are near a school bus with their parents waving in the yard of their home.  On the dedication page opposite the title text, they are inside the shop looking at the display of hijabs.

The images are double-page pictures with a few full-page visuals.  Hatem Aly alters his perspective for dramatic effect.  The close-ups of Asiya in her hijab are lovely.  At times the surrounding elements are softer and lighter in color to allow the characters to draw our focus.

To show those students laughing and taunting with yells with no details is fantastic.  They are presented as a blend of darker purples, almost like shadows.  This gives them no power over Asiya, Faizah or Asiya's friends.  It is in keeping with their mother's words of advice. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Faizah is drawing in her classroom.  The girl who whispered a question to her in line is sitting next to her admiring her picture.  Their teacher is looking over their shoulders.  The girls and the teacher are on the right of this double-page picture.  On the left, crossing the gutter and for a portion of the right is Faizah's drawing.  Gorgeous shades of turquoise billow from a golden grass which is an extension of the girl's table.  On the turquoise is a picnic blanket spread with a feast.  Faizah and Asiya are seated together, each wearing a bright blue hijab with crowns above their heads like princesses.  There are white etchings in the turquoise of accents in the clouds, birds and grass.  It almost looks like scratchboard.

I freely admit the first time reading this book, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S. K. Ali and with art by Hatem Aly, tears filled my eyes for several reasons.  This story of family and faith is very moving.  That children are the subject of whispers, laughter and taunts because of their clothing, skin color or faith has always been heartbreaking.  My hope is that those broken people who do this to people will heal and see the beauty within others regardless of their clothing, skin color or faith.  I believe this book will help to mend and provide valuable insight.   I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.

To learn more about Ibtihaj Muhammad, S. K. Ali and Hatem Aly and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  Ibtihaj Muhammad has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  S. K. Ali has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. Hatem Aly has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  For articles and interviews with Ibtihaj Muhammad please follow links to WBUR, BUSTLE, and the TODAY show.

To See Your Beliefs Reflected All Around You

Each morning as the first pale rays of dawn light touch the sky we wake knowing today is an opportunity to be our best selves.  As the sun drops below the horizon and evening descends, we can evaluate what was done or not done and what was said or not said.  As an educator, a librarian, it's our sacred task to learn and grow so the patrons, children and adults, who enter the library see, use and read materials which provide the whole world.  Everything we do should be in an effort to build connections through understanding whether through factual information or fiction titles.

Our lives are enriched by the increase in our knowledge about others and every living thing on this planet.  (We cannot ignore the events in our communities, our home states, the United States and around the world.)  For today, June 26, 2018, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes (Chronicle Books, April 10, 2018) written by Hena Khan with illustrations by Mehrdokht Amini rose to the top of a group of recently purchased books.  It supplies to readers a mirror, a window and a door. 

Cone is the tip 
of the minaret so tall.
I hear soft echoes 
of the prayer call.

As the pages are turned in this narrative and as we travel around the world visiting places with people observing Muslim beliefs and traditions, our hearts expand with compassion.  We learn to look for figures and patterns.  Each one has significance and value.

A door opening into a mosque is a rectangle. A fountain providing water for washing before prayers is an octagon.  A drum played during celebrations is a circle.  If you seek shapes, they are there.

Three more shapes represent structures used for sermons, prayers, and a sacred site.  Another is seen in gardens of great beauty.  A decorative tile holds a place for an affirmative verse.

A family gathering, a special article of clothing and a greeting reveal the outlines of forms. Tying these together are people.  People who begin and end their days with hope.  We are more alike than we are different.


To read the words written by Hena Khan silently is to feel peace.  To read them aloud is to release the joy. Each two sentence pair rhymes with the final word.  The first sentence includes the shape.  It may also introduce us to a meaningful word in the Muslim beliefs and traditions.  This technique of supplying readers with a repeating pattern fully engages us in the narrative.  Prior to the page turn we are wondering where in the world we will go, the shape we will see and how our awareness will strengthen.  Here is another couplet.

Square is a garden
with sweet orange trees,
a hint of jannah
on its fragrant breeze.


When opened, the matching dust jacket and book case depict the intricacy of the design elements in Islamic art and its architecture.  Several of the shapes mentioned within the book are shown on the front illustration.  It's a beautiful blend of interior images.  To the left, on the back, is an exquisite layered and vertical pattern in rows. 

On the opening and closing endpapers a combination of squares, rectangles, and triangles woven together is further representation.  Illustrator Mehrdokht Amini selects shades of red, orange and yellow to color the first set of pages.  At the back hues of blue, purple and green are used.  On the verso and title pages the top of the tower and minaret are shown with a rising sun behind them.

Each picture, spanning two pages and rendered in mixed media, enhances the couplets.  We travel from country to country and within various parts of a given community.  Colorful clothing and marvelous buildings, on the outside and on the inside, envelope us in this world.  We are explorers and guests and for others, this takes them into the known.

Mehrdokht Amini shifts the point of view allowing us to get an overview when it's important and bringing us close to the people so we can respectfully observe or participate.  Her people, adults and children, have large expressive eyes.  They suggest the mood within the moment.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is for circle.  Two daffs, large round drums, are being held and played by women.  Another woman is blowing on a small horn.  These four adult women frame the entire image.  Beginning on the left and crossing the gutter, children, holding hands, dance in a circle.  The clothing on everyone but especially the women is lovely.


With each reading your respect intensifies and your perceptions sharpen.  Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes written by Hena Khan with illustrations by Mehrdokht Amini gives readers a stunning portrait in rhythmic, informative words and vibrant illustrations of Muslim beliefs and traditions. It is a vitally important title you will want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.  There is a glossary and an author's note at the conclusion.

To learn more about Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Amini and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Hena has a blog linked to her site.  Mehrdokht has many illustrations for you to see on her site including the one I mentioned.  Hena has accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Both Hena and Mehrdokht are showcased at Book Q & As with Deborah Kalb.  Hena chats about her work at 88 Cups Of Tea in a podcast.  She also talks in a video at Colorin colorado!  Mehrdokht is highlighted at Let's Talk Picture Books.  At the publisher's website you can download a printable poster.

Live, Just Live

When looking at bodies of water, ponds, lakes, small and large, seas and oceans I do so with a great deal of reverence and respect.  Firsthand experience at an early age, nearly drowning during a swim lesson at the YMCA as the instructor chatted on the deck with someone, taught me the power of water.  As an adult getting caught in a sudden squall on a twenty-six foot sailboat on the Atlantic Ocean and nearly falling overboard the same day due to a rogue wave (a portion of the rigging saved me but gave me a baseball-size lump on my check), reinforced my beliefs.

My admiration for every swimming feat performed by humans continues to grow story by story.  Overboard (First edition, 2002, Cricket Books, Carus Publishing) has been recently released in a print-on-demand version.  A debut novel for Elizabeth Fama it garnered a unanimous decision to be placed on the 2003 Best Books For Young Adults list by the American Library Association.

Emily might have been the only fourteen-year-old in the world who could change the sheets of a hospital bed with the patient still in it.  She had done it more times than she cared to remember.

Emily lives with Olivia and James, her parents, in Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra.  Both of them are doctors working in a clinic as part of an international program, moving every two years.  Fair-haired, light-skinned Emily longs to return to Boston to attend school and be with her friends.  Her physical appearance causes her to feel like a freak.  The heat and humidity make her situation even more oppressive.

Her uncle, Matt, tries to get her parents to let her join him on the nearby island of Weh for a bit of a vacation but they want her to stay with them.  A death at the clinic for which Emily believes she is responsible has her running away toward the ferry headed for Weh.  Without a word to anyone, it's a decision placing her life in jeopardy.

The holiday of Ramadan has more than normal amounts of people using the ferry.  It hardly looks seaworthy but after several hours wait it leaves the docks.  Two British tourists Richard and Catherine strike up a conversation with Emily but moments later it's apparent by unusual activity of the crew, the ferry is in trouble.  Life vests are being thrown to passengers.  Emily snags one but without a second thought gives it to a young boy.

Shoved into the vest cabinet by panicked passengers, Emily is locked inside.  Liquid fills every space as the ferry sinks.  In a fierce battle with the water and her own thoughts she makes it to the surface of the sea.  Relieved to find Richard and Catherine in the growing darkness, little does Emily know the fight for survival is just beginning.

People turn into crazed individuals while attempting to secure a spot on a life raft, exhausted people make terrible choices, sharks swirl around the groups of passengers, and then following a distant speck of light, alternately swimming a variety of strokes or using her make-shift floaty,  Emily hears soft crying.  Following the sound she discovers the boy, the very boy to whom she had given the vest.

Sometimes an uneasy and at other times an appreciative relationship develops between nine-year-old Isman and Emily as hour after hour passes during the night and into the next day.  Each has lessons for the other to learn, practical means of existing in the water and spiritual practices of the Islamic faith.  In a further stunning turn of events a heart wrenching decision is made as the story spins toward a resolution.


As soon as the first chapter readers can understand the good intentions of the parents but through the writing of Elizabeth Fama we are drawn in empathy to Emily.  It's extremely hard to endure a situation not of your own choosing; especially when you believe your opinion and desires are thought to be insignificant.  We readers will come to realize as does Emily, it could always be worse.

Each chapter ends with an important thought, conversation or statement.  These propel you forward quickly to the next page, cause you to knowingly nod or pause wondering what you would do in similar circumstances.  Even before the ferry accident the mood created by Fama's writing is intense.

Emily's conversations when she is alone are exquisitely written; an exploration of self in the midst of survival.  The portrayal of Isman and the strength he finds in his faith in the face of overwhelming odds will go straight to your soul lifting it up.  Some of the scenes between Isman and Emily will bring readers to tears.  The contrast provided by the British couple's understanding of the people and Emily's points out to readers that while Emily is not happy living in Indonesia, she does have insights into the culture of the people.  Here are some sample passages.

Before she could hear an answer, she was pulled under the water.  She didn't have time to catch a breath.  Someone, something, was dragging her under from behind.  She felt water churning in front of her face.  She scraped at the water with her hands, losing her leggings-float.  She didn't feel any pain, but she was sure it was a shark.

She focused on the stars again and one little point of light moved down in a streak.  For a fraction of a second she thought it was a plane, but it was clearly a shooting star.  Half a minute later, another.  The longer she looked, the more she saw.  A beautiful light show, hundreds of miles away.  No, not really a light show.  These were bits of rock or dust, burning up as they traveled through the earth's atmosphere.  They were lifeless meteors that cared nothing for her.  They weren't shooting for her; they weren't shooting for any human beings.  They had shot long before humans were on earth, and they would shoot long after humans were gone.  Look at that sky, millions of miles deep.  Nothing in that incredibly full sky cares about humans, or about the silly, stupid things we do.  Humans are the only things that care about humans, and in the end we don't even do that very well.

Isman held up the bitten tomato.  "This is from Allah.  No matter who grew it or who bought it.  Allah alone made this tomato possible.  I try to remember whatever I have---whatever I love---comes from God.  Saying the ninety-nine names helps remind me."
He took a last measured bite and handed Emily the rest.
"My father says that nothing belongs to us in this world, Ehm-lee. This is why we share our good fortune with others, and give alms to the poor.  This is what we learn; that everything is on loan from God."


When you start to read Overboard written by Elizabeth Fama you need to make sure your time is free because there is no stopping until you are finished.  It's a highly captivating story of survival and human growth in an extreme situation.  It defines page-turner.

In her Author's Note at the conclusion of the novel Elizabeth Fama explains the true events on which this story is based.  To learn more about Elizabeth Fama and this book please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  She has included a discussion guide for educators on themes and ideas important to her when writing this book.