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Reviewed by: Ana Canino-Fluit, Elementary School Librarian Title: Yasmin Figures it Out!
Author: Saddia Faruqi
Ilustrator: Hatem Aly
Series: Yasmin
Publisher: Capstone
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: PK-3 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: None Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I am always looking for Asian/Muslim rep and the format (short-chapter book) appeals and is very accessible for our ELL students who are reading slighly below grade level.
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: The Yasmin series is a great addtion to any elementary library, with fun engaging stories and cute and colorful illustrations.
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Review:
Yasmin: Figures it out! Collects four of the beginner chapter books in the Yasmin series and adds discussion questions, an Urdu glossary, Pakistan fun facts and related craft. The Yasmin series follows a young Pakistani American girl as she works through everyday experiences and comes to realizations that clarify her feelings and the world around her.
In Yasmin: Figures it Out, the first story is Yasmin, The Ice Skater, Yasmin is scared to try figure skating for the first time, procrastinating getting on the ice as long as possible without tipping off her friend and her mom. When she finally tries, she falls over and over again, but she also learns and leaves wanting to try it again. In Yasmin, The Doctor, Yasmin and her baba start working on a puzzle together, but her dad gets obsessed working on it all day. The next day his back and eyes hurt, and following the example of a Dr. Tahir who visited her school, Yasmin is able to figure out that her dad’s symptoms are a result of overdoing puzzle solving. In third book, Yasmin The Farmer, Yasmin and her family visit a farm and while taking care of chicks, she notices that she left the gate open and has lost one of the chicks. She has to look for it without panicking and after finding it admits her mistake to the farmer who praises her quick thinking and her efforts to find the lost chick. In the final book in the collection, Yasmin the Detective, Yasmin helps her Nani whose shiny thimble has gone missing, by observing and finding common elements with other things that have gone missing.
I really love the tone of these books. Yasmin is curious, observant and not perfect. She procrastinates, she makes mistakes, and is treated with kindness by those around her. They are fun, full of situational humor (her parents aren’t perfect either) and encourage exploration and learning without being didactic. The illustrations are cute and colorful and add to the charm of the books.
These are a great addition to any library who purchases early chapter books and these books are also accessible and attractive to older ELL students who might be reading below grade level.
Number of party hats:
For more about this author, see her page on TeachingBooks.
For more information about this book, see the author's website
Check out these other books in the Yasmin series in the Monroe 2 Sora Collection: