The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship by Ibtihaj Muhammad

The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship Reviews

• 
  Zainab Bint Younus

  It's finally here!!! "The Kindest Red," by Ibtihaj Muhammad and @skalibooks - the companion book to The Proudest Blue, featuring sisters Asiya and Faizah.
  
  This story is truly so incredibly sweet - I love that Muslim stories can, and do, feature joy instead of just conflict and trauma.
  
  Faizah dreams of a kind world, and spends her day trying to make it so... and the time comes when she's the one in need of kindness from those around her.
  
  Another lovely, beautiful addition to any Muslim bookshelf!
• 
  Gabrielle Stoller

  LOVE normalizing hijabs and making others feel comfortable.
• 
  Vanessa Lecaine

  A beautiful follow up the the Proudest Blue.
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  Nadia L. Hohn

  Sweet story kindness and it’s contagious. Gorgeous vibrant illustrations. Congratulations Sajidah!
• 
  Dawn Foster

  I understand the point of the story but it's very disjointed & lacks a progression of ideas to the conclusion. I felt as if the authors struggled to string together all the points they wanted to make but didn't really know how to make it cohesive & just wanted to get to the end where they could tie up the story. Themes of kindness, strength, family, friends were tossed with a school day, recesses, class picture day and then, out of nowhere, sibling picture day made for a muddled story!!
• 
  Kirin

  This heartwarming book centers kindness, family, and friendship in an inclusive way; and while the tagline says "A Story of Hijab and Friendship" I think the hijab angle is a bit of a stretch.  The authors are Muslims that wear hijab, the older sister and older females in the family wear hijab, but there is nothing in the story or text that connect hijab to Islam or to something Muslim women wear as part of religion.  I don't want to compare the first book in the series, The Proudest Blue, to this book, but hijab really was centered in that book and the Author's Note mentioned that hijab is an Islamic act.  This book does not make those same connections, which is fine, I just want consumers to be aware.  This book is beautiful and the messaging endearing, and the tone and heart over 40 pages ideal for preschool to early elementary children.  It works as a standalone, but with the same characters and sisterly love, I think most people will enjoy keeping them together.  
  
  The book starts with Mama passing on Asiya's dress to Faizah, that had been Mama's even before that.  It is picture day, and the girls are helping each other get ready. At school Faizah and her friend Sophie twirl in their pretty dresses before heading in to class to discuss what kind of world they want.
  
  Faizah wants a kind world, where there's always a friend nearby, where everyone helps. At recess, Sophie and Faizah combine their visions, superheroes and kindness, to help other kids on the playground.  When picture time arrives the class is full of smiles, but when it is time for sibling pictures, Faiza and Asiya realize they don't match.
  
  Faizah is sad, and Sophie notices, can the kindness be passed along like the dress to help the sisters? To make Faizah happy too? I'm not going to give away the conclusion, but it is sweet and idyllic and shows how lovely the world can be if we all just share some kindness.
  
  I love the illustrations and the hijab wearing super hero that presumably Sophie drew is powerful.  I think the book does wonders to normalize hijab, even if I do wish it articulated why one would wear hijab.  It seems that the industry trend is to keep hijab superficial and I recognize I am in the minority that wants religious centering for religious tenants.  So yes, I'm fully prepared for the backlash when people want to point out that it is joyful and that I'm a naysayer, but I deal with people on a daily basis that do not know that my own hijab is a reflection of me being Muslim.  With as connected as the world is through technology, I  think those in diverse environments take for granted the understanding of basic Islamic principals in the general population.  However, not everyone has those real life connections and rely on books and media to fill the gaps, so when books about hijab, don't actually connect hijab to faith, I feel obligated to point it out.
• 
  Bex

  This story has so much heart - haven't we all been the child who wants to be like someone we look up to? Haven't we all considered what our ideal world might look like and dreamt of unicorns, cookies and complimentary bathrobes in hotel rooms!?
  
  This is a story about dreaming, about an inclusive world, about family and the threads that hold them together. It's less about Hijab's and Friendship actually than I think it probably was meant to be - instead it feels more about just "being", and I think I like that just as much. When you're little, just being is all you care about; it's only when we grow that we begin to understand that not everyone will accept us for who we are and the gross unfairness of that. So I loved the childlike, innocent lense we got to see this through.
  
  Ibtihaj Muhammad captures one little girls wish to be like her big sister, to wear a beautiful red dress on school picture day - passed down through the generations as a prized possession she can now enjoy - and to be empowered by her faith in friendship and the goodness of the world. There is nothing but hope, happiness and love in this story - a refreshing addition to the shelves of children's picture books.
  
  There is something missing - the story is far more simple than it deserved; I wanted to know more about Faizah's family and her relationship with them, I wanted to see more of her friendships at school and I would have really liked to have seen a bigger nod to her faith; I'm interested, I want to learn and I think small children would have really benefitted from that.
  
  I haven't red The Proudest Blue, so perhaps I would have had that if I had read the publications in order! So that will be next on my list.
  
  ARC provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Alicia

  The vibrant colors, just like the first book, are present and accounted for in this picture book as well in which the little girl is sharing in her classroom the kind of world she wants to live in-- a kind one. And she spends the day sharing and receiving kindness including a special treat after her school class photo by taking a picture with her sister-- but she wanted to be like her sister a little bit and while she had a beautiful hand-me-down red dress, she doesn't wear hijab yet, but borrowed a friend's red sash to wrap around her head to be like her sister.
  
  It's sweet and full of the kindness that the book's theme is about. I love this duo writing the book and the art by Hatem Aly.
• 
  Andrew

  Faizah knows just how to respond to her teacher "What kind of world do you want?"
  A world of friendship, kindness, helpfulness and hope.
  How can this be achieved?
  Faizah and her BFF Sophie decide to make the most of their recesses, learning the many facets of kindness.
  
  School picture day becomes magical and full of smiles, even when a moment of doubt crosses Faizah's mind.
  
  The book features a wonderful message of hope and kindness, diversity amongst Faizah's class, and Hatem Aly's childlike and colorful illustrations.
  Olympic winner and activist Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali give us another great picture book.
• 
  Kathy

  What does it mean to be kind? If you want the world to be kinder, what sorts of actions can you take to make that dream a reality? Faizah has that dream, and she and her sister and friends make that a reality! I love how the hijab is just a normal part of society and the resolution to the final problem. This would be a very good read for early elementary classes, where they could then talk about other ways to be kind.
• 
  Jared White

  A lovely book about friends helping to make the world a better place through small actions for others and for each other.
  
  I like that the lead, Faizah, and her friend demonstrate that you can help make the world a better place by paying attention to those around you. They may not solve any of the world's problems but their small actions help make the day a bit better for many of their classmates.
  
  I think this could work well for an upper or lower elementary storytime.
• 
  Stephanie A-M

  A lovely follow up to The Proudest Blue. We meet Faizah and her big sister Aisya on picture day at school. Throughout the day Faizah and her classmates share the "superpower" of kindness with one another and it's contagious! Just before sibling pictures are to be taken Faizah feels a bit of sadness. Her friends come up with the most amazing idea to make her smile again.
  
  Once more Ibtihaj Muhammad shares a sweet story about sisters, their bond and friendship.
• 
  Madison

  When asked what kind of world she wants to live in, Faizah wishes for a kind one. She and her best friend, Sophie use their power of kindness to change the world, one interaction at a time.
  A companion to The Proudest Blue, Olympic Medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad knocks it out the of the park again. She teaches the power of kindness while highlighting different cultures and skin tones. Children who wear a hijab will feel connected and seen in this children’s book.
• 
  Ellon

  3 stars (I liked it)
  
  This wasn't as good as
  The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family but it was still a nice story and really emphasized ways to be kind to others.
• 
  Bethe

  The teacher asks her class what kind of world would they want to live in. Fanciful ideas are sprinkled in with thoughtful ideas like kindness. The kids spend the rest of the day spreading kindness. It comes back to the main character when her classmates find a way for her to match with her sister for picture day.
• 
  Monique

  My kids loved this book. We had a great time talking about what a better world would look like. We drew pictures, talked about helping others and doing kind things. Everyone should read this and consider what they can do to make the world better. This review is from one of the RedZ…
• 
  Mandy Robek

  Enjoyed this story very much and the kid friendly kindness acts my own students could replicate.
• 
  Rebecca Ann

  This was a lovely story that would work well with a kindness rock craft.
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  Panda Incognito

  This picture book isn't as powerful as the original, but the illustrations are cute and the message is nice despite how heavy-handed it is.
• 
  Leova Manbhat

  Book about kindness. Shows great examples of children being kind to one another.
• 
  Jessica

  This is a worthy follow up to “The Proudest Blue” and shows how easy kindness can spread. Highly recommended.
• 
  Korie Mitchell

  A story with a wonderfully positive message of inclusivity.