Meet Yasmin!
Author: Saadia Faruqi
Illustrator: Hatem Aly
Publisher: Picture Window Books (August 1, 2018)
ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
I've been waiting for a while to get a chance to read Saadia Faruqi's upcoming chapter book, Meet Yasmin!, and I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy from NetGalley.
Oh my gosh, this is such a delightful book, and Yasmin is such a fun and engaging second grader, she absolutely deserves that exclamation point in the title. Yasmin's family is Pakistani (as is the author), so the text is sprinkled with a few words in Urdu that kids will find easy to learn and fun to use. She is perfectly relatable, prone to worry and inspiration at a moment's notice, and her family is warm and supportive and everything you could hope for.
Hatem Aly's illustrations are an absolute delight, and he brings such life and energy to Yasmin and her family and classmates, you'll feel like you're right there with them as she goes through mini-adventures as an explorer, painter, builder and fashionista.
Teachers will love the age-appropriate study guide, with a glossary, recipe, facts about Pakistan, and more.
A wonderful, spirited book with a heroine I hope we meet many times again. Perfect for boys and girls in early elementary school.
Five stars!
Pre-order Meet Yasmin! on Amazon US, or find where you can pre-order it from a local indie bookstore.
Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth
Author: Debbi Michiko Florence
Illustrator: Elizabet Vukovic
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (July 11, 2017)
Borrowed from library.
It's a big weekend for eight-year-old detective Jasmine Toguchi!
She's excited to celebrate Girl's Day-a Japanese holiday celebrating women and girls-with her sister, her mother, and her best friend, Linnie. On Friday, Jasmine's neighbor Mrs. Reese lets the best friends search through her old clothes for the perfect accessories for their Girl's Day outfits. But the clothes are in her garage, which is dark and scary. And Linnie decides to go home early, which is kind of weird. And Jasmine's big sister, Sophie, doesn't seem to want to join in the Girl's Day fun this year, which is kind of confusing. WHAT is going on?
In this entertaining new chapter book series, Jasmine Toguchi stars in adventures which revolve around school and her family and their Japanese traditions. Jasmine is dramatic and imperfect and fun. We get to follow along her adventures, which she describes in grand fashion but which sometimes fall flat. Kids will enjoy her stumbles along with her excitement.
I like that the Japanese traditions shown in the book are integrated well, and don't either take a front row seat or fade too far into the background. They are simply part of Jasmine's life, so we learn about them through her excitement. The illustrations are warm and fun and integrated into the text.
It's always good to find a chapter book series to recommend.
Four stars!
Amazon
