Loved Yasmin! She has been a favorite character for some of our elementary students. What a great story - we love to see female, diverse characters in a positive light!

A special thanks to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review. Even though I read it initially, due to personal reasons, I couldn’t review it prior to the publication. So here it is now 🙂

The main thing that I really appreciate about “Meet Yasmin!” is having a Pakistani American family as the theme. Considering how there is so much hatred towards people from different cultures, religious, orientation etc. it is refreshing to see a children’s tale featuring a Pakistani American girl. It is important to teach future generations to be accepting of one another, and any small contribution, even if it is in the form of a children’s book, is always an added value to the society.

I particularly liked how the author shows how creative Yasmin can be under any circumstances, in all the four stories. My favourite story was “Yasmin the Builder”, where Yasmin cleverly builds her own town by connecting the other models. Saadia Faruqi has done a terrific job in creating Yasmin, and making the stories equally fun to read. Hatem Aly has also done a wonderful job in the illustrations, making Yasmin and her family stand out. The book also provides interesting facts about Pakistan, how to make a refreshing Lassi, and dos and don’ts when you are faced in a similar situation to Yasmin.

The only thing I didn’t quite like about in the stories was how Yasmin does not get a warning or punishment for doing something bad. Yasmin tears out her mother’s clothes and the parents are happy. Yasmin gets lost in the market and her mother doesn’t get angry. It might send out a wrong message to young readers thinking it is okay to behave the same way in reality.

Overall, “Meet Yasmin” is a cute children’s book which schools should encourage younger readers to pick up.

A lovely little story for elementary and middle school kids. Not a terribly surprising story, but enjoyable for the intended audience

Meet Yasmin is an early chapter book written by Saadia Faruqi, and illustrated by Hatem Aly. Yasmin Ahmad is a spirited second-grader who's always on the lookout for those "aha" moments to help her solve life's little problems. Taking inspiration from her surroundings and her big imagination, she boldly faces any situation, assuming her imagination doesn't get too big, of course! A creative thinker and curious explorer, Yasmin and her multi-generational Pakistani American family will delight and inspire readers.

Meet Yasmin is a sweet early chapter book about a young girl exploring her world, trying new things, and trying to decide what she wants to do. She tries out being an explorer, a painter, and a fashionista and learns something about herself and the task at hand each time. I loved the bold and bright illustrations, that add details to the story. I really love that the story is just about a kid exploring the world, and other kids or all ages, genders, and backgrounds can find something of themselves in the story. I find it important that Yasmin is Pakistani American, and some young readers that might never have seen someone like themselves in print can see themselves mirrored in the book, and those they might be being taught nationalism or racism at home can see how much kids are alike regardless of culture and background. We all just want to find and do things we enjoy, like Yasmin. I think it is also important and helpful to unfamiliar readers that the backmatter includes a section on learning Urdu, facts about Pakistan, a recipe for lassi, and instructions for making a flower motif bookmark. It just might help young readers take the next step and research even more about the Pakistani culture and hopefully other people and cultures as well.

Meet Yasmin is a wonderful transitional chapter book, with charm and humor that a wide range of readers will enjoy. I am hoping for more books like this in the near future.

Positives here: Diversity is portrayed without it having to be an issue. THere's no "this is why I love being in a Pakistani family". It's simply "here's my family and they happen to be from Pakistan." The stories are just about being a kids: getting lost, being afraid, social struggles. Being a Muslim is entirely incidental.
Negatives: Everything comes out on top. Its not enough that Yasmin overcomes fear and self doubt. She wins contests and has the best idea ever. It can set an unreasonable precedent.

Yasmin is an energetic and lively second grader. While she gets into problems occasionally, she’s quick to find ways to solve them. It is refreshing to see a diverse, female protagonist like Yasmin who faces easily relatable problems for young readers. Meet Yasmin! is a great beginning chapter book for elementary-aged readers!

Yasmin’s determination and flexible thinking make this a delightful early reader for strong-minded children who like to take matters into their own hands and solve their own problems. The back matter explaining tidbits of Pakistani culture is a wonderful inclusion. A fantastic addition to a primary-grade classroom library!

I loved meeting Yasmin- a second grade, Pakastani American girl with big ideas- and reading about her adventures in this transitional chapter book. She will be a welcome new friend to many of our 1st-3rd grade readers.

Meet Yasmin! portrays the adventures of a Pakistani-American girl, filled with the imagination and playfulness of the typical elementary-aged girl. The book is broken up into four stories, with several chapters in each section. Yasmin delves into exploring, painting, building, and fashion.

The illustrations draw in readers and the storylines will resonate with children as a variety of emotions are expressed.

The book closes with a question applicable for each section to aid in conversations; for the first story, when Yasmin gets lost, parents have opportunity to explore the emotions present when a child has fear of being separated, as well as the opportunity to create a plan for any contingency. To go along with the fashionista chapter, parents can talk with their children about favorite games or activities they participate in with relatives. Additionally, there's a glossary for the Urdu words used in the story (several may be familiar to readers already, like naan, hijab, and sari). Facts about Pakistan, a recipe for a popular yogurt drink, and a bookmark craft close out the book.

Representation in literature matters, and having such a book in homes and libraries helps in creating a diverse presence in literature. I may not wear a hijab or have kameez in my wardrobe, but my daughters can make connections with the universal experiences of dressing in mother's clothes. This story could call to mind their Muslim friends from Syria or the classmates from Mexico -- some aspects to our daily lives are different, but they can bridge those differences by reflecting on what they have in common. Perhaps they connect with Yasmin's pressure to perform well in the art contest, or the uncertainty over what she can contribute to the class building project. This book can remove some of the mystery about someone who may look or speak differently and allow for fruitful conversations (which, hopefully, lead to deeper friendships).

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

4.5 stars. This is a great new early chapter book perfect for kids about 5-8 years old. Yasmin is a very lovable Pakistani American girl with a spirited and creative personality. She was a joy to read about as she found her self in various difficult situations and had to find solutions. My almost 5 year old very intuitively said “She always thinks she can’t do things, but then she can!”

The book is made up of four different mini books with short chapters. There are tons of adorable illustrations spread throughout and short text per page which help hold the attention of young readers. As I read it aloud with my almost 5 year old he was very engaged in the story and we read the whole thing in one sitting.

Meet Yasmin! is great at providing exposure to a culture that isn’t often represented in children’s literature while showing that kids have universal similarities. There is much that is relatable in Yasmin’s story!

The back of the book includes a glossary/pronunciation guide, some facts about Pakistan, and a recipe and craft.

I hope there will be more books about Yasmin to come!

Read #MeetYasmin tonight with my 4 year old son and after each story he begged for the next one. A lovely read that opened up a conversation and allowed us to see through another’s window. I especially enjoys the various extras after the stories were finished. I loved being able to read the Pakistan facts to my son and talk with him about each book using the questions. As a teacher, I will definitely be purchasing this book to add to my classroom library. We need more books that represent all cultures in a positive light, especially ones that have kid characters!

A fun early chapter book about a Pakastani American girl, Yasmin, and her family. There are four stories each made up of three chapters. It's short enough to read through in one sitting, but also long enough that you could read each story on its own. Yasmin is adventurous and problem solving. I loved the diversity in the book, both from the perspective of a Pakastani girl, and in the illustrations.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi is a must get for any early elementary teacher! Yasmin has a huge imagination, is a great problem solver, has so much ambition, is creative, and is just someone you’d want your kid to hang out with (or at least be in the same class with!). Yasmin also will fill the role of a window or a mirror! She is Pakistani-American and has a multi-generational family who she lives with. Students will either finally see someone like themselves in an early reader or be exposed to a culture that may be new.

Meet Yasmin is a breath of fresh air! Saadia Faruqi has written a lovely chapter book about an engaging Pakistani girl, and how she solves problems that children face. The vocabulary is accessible, while still teaching new words from the Urdu language. I love that many of my students will be able to see themselves in Yasmin, and others will get a glimpse of a culture that is both different, and also very similar, to their own. Hatem Aly’s illustrations are just perfect. I can’t wait to share Yasmin with my students! Yasmin is a second grader, but I think this book would be enjoyed by students in Kindergarten (as a read-aloud, or read-along) through 3rd grade emerging readers or English language learners. This book will be released on August 1. Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this sweet chapter book!

I love the diversity and cultural flavor in these short stories about a charming young girl! Fabulous illustrations plus a compelling narrative make this a welcome addition to any beginning chapter book shelf.

Meet Yasmin! By Saadia Faruqui
I received an advance digital copy of this book via www.netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. I was in no other way compensated for this review and it is my true and honest opinion.
The most remarkable thing about Meet Yasmin by Saadia Faruqui is how completely unremarkable the events and situations in the stories will seem to the average reader. Yasmin is just like them. She isn’t struggling in a third world country, she isn’t fighting for her rights, she isn’t a victim at all. She’s a bright eyed adorable little girl who celebrates Ramadan and whose mother wears a hijab when she goes to the market.
Okay, so maybe she isn’t “just like me” but that’s the real beauty of this book. She’s just like so many somebodies out there who don’t have Ramona, or Harriet, or Matilda, or Fern, or countless other examples to show their lives and to signal that they matter, and are funny, and can be heartwarming.
I truly hope we get to see more of Yasmin and along with her I hope others join the shelves. I would love for books like these to be so commonplace that they lose the “diversity” tag and can just be celebrated for the wonderful stories they are.
I can’t wait to introduce this early chapter book to my primary teacher friends. I am utterly enchanted with Yasmin and I know you will be too.

Meet Yasmin is a fantastic collection of four short stories portraying a vibrant and engaging main character. Each story does a great job of setting up a problem Yasmín must solve and then offering a creative solution, something young readers will find engaging. The information about Pakistan and Urdu vocabulary as well as the recipe and craft at the end of the book round out an excellent title for all young girls readers! Yasmín is a character they will want to hear from much more.

I really enjoyed this beginning chapter book about a little Pakistani American girl named Yasmin. Readers see her at home, at school, and in the community, experiencing the same ups and downs many kids do (getting lost at the park, problem-solving to complete a school project, spending quality time with her grandparents). The illustrations are adorable, as well. I hope to add this to my collection for my voracious chapter book readers.

I recently started seeing a lot of buzz about this book and I’m so happy I got an ARC from NetGalley! Yasmin perseveres though mostly typical second grade struggles, and I love that there were some discussion prompts at the end. I know my students love the challenge of reading chapter books, so with this being organized in that way as well as a series of stories, I think it will attract a lot of fans. Also, the illustrations are kid-friendly and beautiful! I’m a huge fan of Yasmin!

E ARC from Netgalley.com



Second grader Yasmin has lots of adventures in her ordinary life. She explores her neighborhood with her mother, getting just a tiny bit lost, has some difficulty deciding what her artistic talent is for a school art show, struggles with a class project centered around building things, and gets in a little trouble while her grandmother and grandfather are babysitting her and she raids her mother's closet. Despite her sometimes misguided enthusiasm, Yasmin manages to succeed in her endeavors with the help of her supportive family.

Strengths: This nicely illustrated beginning chapter book is sort of like a Junie B. Jones for the new Millenium. There are nice touches of Yasmin's family's Pakistani culture that frame her typical second grade adventures. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of her struggles with painting and building.
Weaknesses: None of the other characters have eyes quite as large at Yasmin's. Also, like Junie B., Yasmin misbehaves a bit. I don't imagine her mother was pleased to have one of her items of clothes hot glued back together after Yasmin ripped it!
What I really think: This is a must purchase for elementary libraries. It's a bit young for my readers (getting separated from mom is a middle school dream, not a nightmare!), but an excellent addition to a diverse collection of beginning chapter books. If Yasmin ever hits middle school, I'd be glad to buy the book!