The Proudest Blue Explained

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
Author:Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali
Illustrator:Hatem Aly
Country:United States
Language:English
Genre:Children's literature, Picture book
Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date:September 10, 2019
Media Type:Print (hardcover, paperback), Audio
Pages:36
Isbn:978-0-31-651900-7

The book was inspired by Muhammad's experiences wearing a hijab.[1]

Summary

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family follows sisters Asiya and Faizah. Asiya is celebrating her first day of wearing a hijab. Although most kids in their class are struggling to understand, Faizah and Asiya are proud of what the hijab represents in their Muslim faith and culture.

Faizah spends most of the book worrying for her sister. When students make unkind comments about Asiya's hijab, Faizah is shocked to see her turn away from the bullies and drop their hurtful words. At the end of the book, Faizah learns the bullies do not upset Asiya. She watches her sister continue to wear her hijab with pride. She follows her sister’s examples and ignores the bullies. As the sisters head home, Faizah can’t wait to wear her own blue first-day hijab. [2]

Reception

The Proudest Blue received starred reviews from Kirkus,[3] Publishers Weekly,[4] School Library Journal,[5] and Booklist,[6] as well as a positive review from The New York Times.[7]

The book also received the following accolades:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016 . Ibtihaj Muhammad .
  2. Web site: Kirsten . 2021-10-31 . The Proudest Blue Activities and Comprehension Questions . 2023-05-01 . Children's Library Lady . en-GB.
  3. Web site: June 16, 2019. The Proudest Blue. 2021-10-29. Kirkus Reviews.
  4. Web site: 2019-08-18. Children's Book Review: The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, illus. by Hatem Aly. Little, Brown, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-51900-7. 2021-10-29. Publishers Weekly. en.
  5. Web site: The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family. 2021-10-29. School Library Journal.
  6. Web site: Khuri. Ronny. September 1, 2019. The Proudest Blue. 2021-10-29. Booklist.
  7. News: Russo. Maria. 2019-08-12. Back-to-School Picture Books to Brighten Any Kid's First Day. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-10-29. 0362-4331.
  8. Web site: The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family. 2021-10-29. Goodreads.
  9. Web site: January 1, 2020. Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2019. 2021-10-29. Booklist.
  10. Web site: March 15, 2020. Rise: A Feminist Book Project: 2020. 2021-10-29. Booklist.
  11. Web site: March 15, 2020. Notable Children's Books: 2020. 2021-10-29. Booklist.