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.

 

This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.

There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published 2019 by Little, Brown & Company .

Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator whose work has been featured on television and in multiple publications worldwide. Among other books, he illustrated Newbery Honor winning novel The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz. He currently lives in New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife, son, and more pets than people. Ibtihaj Muhammad is best known for being the first Muslim American woman to wear hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics and the first female Muslim-American athlete to medal in the Olympics, winning bronze with Team USA's Team Sabre. She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, the daughter of a retired police officer and an elementary school special education teacher. She lives in New York City. Other contributors include Sandhya Menon, S. K. Ali, Rin Chupeco, Anna-Marie McLemore, Rebecca Roanhorse, Sara Farzian, Jay Coles, Adi Alsaid, Sangu Mandanna, Phoebe North, and Karuna Riazi.