Perfect for fans of The Day You Begin and Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrator Shahrzad Maydani’s Sister Friend is a heartwarming new picture book celebrating the unique joy of cultivating friendships within your cultural community.
Ameena feels invisible. It’s been that way since she started at her new school. But now there is another new girl in class. Ameena sees her brownness and her hijab, even though the other kids do not.
Ameena wants to be her friend, but she can’t seem to find the right words or do the right things. Until one day, they find them together: “Assalamu Alaikum, Sister. Welcome.”
Praise
***STARRED REVIEW***
"Thompkins-Bigelow’s words resonate deeply and convey feelings of isolation, exclusion, and joyful acceptance. A powerful exploration of what it means to be welcomed, seen, and accepted."
—Kirkus
"[G]racefully acknowledging the complexity of communications and relationships, while the illustrations capture every nuance of the characters’ emotions in this moving picture book."
—Booklist
***STARRED REVIEW***
"Thompkins-Bigelow’s sweetly complex treatise speaks to experiences of loneliness and marginalization as well as of kinship and joy."
—Publishers Weekly
"A touching picture book of cultural connection, embracing differences, and finding that very special friend...the perfect partner read with a special friend."
—School Library Journal
