WOW Review: Volume XVII, Issue 1 • Page 6 of 12 • Worlds of Words

Sister Friend
Written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2024, 36 pp (unpaged)
ISBN: 9781419767210

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Shahrzad Maydani weave a touching story of friendship and finding a space where you feel seen and understood. Ameena is used to being by herself and feeling invisible to other people at school, and she suspects that it is because of her brown skin and the twists in her hair. Then, one day, Sundus arrives at school, a brand-new student with a hijab like the one Ameena wears to masjid. Ameena tries a few ways to bond with Sundus, but Sundus erroneously assumes Ameena is making fun of her. The girls see each other at masjid, and by then, Ameena is angry with Sundus for rejecting her. Sundus surprises Ameena and Ameena is able to empathize with Sundus. The two girls play together, no longer feeling rejected and alone.

Shahrzad Maydani’s soft, colorful illustrations bring vivid detail to the words of Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. The effervescent colors of Ameena’s imagination and joy shine brightly in times of hope, bathing Sundus in golden light and flowers to represent the hope of a budding friendship, someone in whom Ameena sees a connection. Maydani gives readers shade and shadow to represent Ameena’s feelings of isolation, rejection, and anger. The result is a story that is as compelling for the eyes as it is for the heart.

Although clear in her intent and drive to create stories that represent authentic experiences within the underrepresented Black Muslim community in the U.S. with which she identifies, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow gives readers of all identities a relatable story of going from isolation to acceptance, of finding someone with whom you share a connection. The importance of sharing stories from underrepresented voices with authenticity in authorship is critical in reaching readers from all walks of life, but especially for children who do not have the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the protagonists of their books. This is, indeed, one of the very reasons Thompkins-Bigelow, once an English teacher, says she began writing children’s books (DeOliveira, 2021, Thompkins-Bigelow, 2024). Through her authorship of identities that mirror hers, she disrupts the single-story narrative, placing power in the hands of the communities about which she writes. By giving readers an engaging and relatable view into Ameena’s experiences at school, the author draws us into this child’s world, one where the reader can imagine feeling ostracized, othered, and devalued, and later experience the joy of Ameena and Sundus finding a friend who shares in their identities.

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s work has reminded us for decades that all readers need familiarity with books that act as both mirrors to their own lives and windows into the lives of others (Tschida, et. al., 2014). Thompkins-Bigelow uses key identifiable pieces from her own identities in the story, allowing readers from all communities either a window or a mirror to learn more about experiences like those of Ameena and Sundus.

The beauty of Thompkins-Bigelow’s words is matched by the beauty of Maydani’s accompanying illustrations, sure to hook readers’ attention as they enter into Ameena’s reality. Thompkins-Bigelow (2024) has said that she prefers to work alongside illustrators who share one of her identities to elevate stories from similar underrepresented communities. Indeed, in Shahrzad Maydani, a celebrated illustrator raised in Africa by her Iranian mother and English father, she has achieved just that. Sister Friend would be a welcome addition to any classroom, library, or home bookshelf. Readers of a wide variety of ages can appreciate and empathize with Ameena’s experience of wanting to feel seen, to have friends. Thompkins-Bigelow’s words invite the making of human connections, both to the text and the beautifully diverse world around us.

Titles that could pair with Sister Friend include books that show developing friendships across linguistic challenges (My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald & Freya Blackwood, 2014), cultural barriers (The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson & E. B. Lewis, 2001), or across challenges with neurodiversity (A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey & Mika Song, 2019).

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is a former educator who left the classroom to write books that support diversity. She has developed curricula for the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative and has won awards for her books that center Black Muslim protagonists. She shares her talent by mentoring aspiring authors through We Need Diverse Books and the Highlights Foundation. She lives in Philadelphia with her family. More information can be found on her website.

Shahrzad Maydani is an Iranian-English illustrator who has garnered starred reviews and awards for her work. She gravitates towards stories that involve deep connections between people so she can illustrate the intricate and sometimes heavy emotions that children experience. One example is her book Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love (Saira Mir, 2023) that deals with a little girl looking forward to a baby sister only to deal with the grief of a miscarriage. More information can be found in an interview with Let’s Talk Picture Books.

References

DeOliveira, H. (2021, December 22). Episode 63: Beyond the single Muslim story w/ Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/live/n3rQ-PdAwBE?si=OJ5Y7HcQCqzSPOue

Tschida, C. M., Ryan, C. L., & Swenson Ticknor, A. (2014). Building on windows and mirrors: Encouraging the disruption of “single stories” through children’s literature. Journal of Children’s Literature, 40(I), 28-39.

Natalie Parks, Texas Woman’s University

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