Always Sisters by Saira Mir
Content warning: discussions of pregnancy loss. A much-needed picture book about a little girl whos expecting a new baby sister, and how she and her family navigate her mothers pregnancy loss.
Mir respects and understands her audience, and it shows in the simple but honest textMaydani’s chalk pastel and watercolor illustrations are affecting. The blurred and soft images (with lots of pinks, oranges, and greens) give the girl’s narration an ephemeral quality. When she is immersed in her grief, Raya’s figure becomes a dark silhouette. The text and images work together seamlessly, and the pages are designed thoughtfully, with strategic white space and evenly paced and powerful page turns. VERDICT A There aren’t many offerings on this topic, and none as effective or beautiful. An excellent choice for all SEL collections. -- School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
* 9/15/23 *
given the relative lack of stories about miscarriage that center characters of color, this is a needed and important title. A sensitively told story of a child grappling with her family’s pregnancy loss. -- Kirkus * 6/15/23 *
* 9/15/23 *
given the relative lack of stories about miscarriage that center characters of color, this is a needed and important title. A sensitively told story of a child grappling with her family’s pregnancy loss. -- Kirkus * 6/15/23 *
Saira Mir is a physician and author of the award-winning picture book Muslim Girls Rise, which she wrote for her daughter and other children to have Muslim feminist role models. As an OB-GYN, she has cared for many families through pregnancy loss, but could not find the book she needed to help support her daughter through grief over her own family’s loss, which inspired her to write Always Sisters. She lives in the DC area with her kids and is always on the hunt for the next best playground and bubble tea.
Shahrzad Maydani is an illustrator and storyteller based in Maui, Hawaii, where she lives with her family. She was raised in Africa by an Iranian mother and an English father, and she spent her childhood collecting and telling stories. Shahrzad is the illustrator of the picture books Poetree by Shauna LaVoy Reynolds, Always Sisters by Saira Mir, and Sourgrass by Hope Lim.
Shahrzad Maydani is an illustrator and storyteller based in Maui, Hawaii, where she lives with her family. She was raised in Africa by an Iranian mother and an English father, and she spent her childhood collecting and telling stories. Shahrzad is the illustrator of the picture books Poetree by Shauna LaVoy Reynolds, Always Sisters by Saira Mir, and Sourgrass by Hope Lim.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781665901567 |
| ISBN 10 | 166590156X |
| Title | Always Sisters |
| Author | Saira Mir |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year published | 2023-09-28 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |