Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers was so cute and hopeful. The art style of the illustrations tied so perfectly with the story. I absolutely loved how cute and simple, yet also magical as the story developed. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a wonderful story to read to their little ones. I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

A very cute read! A nice story to share with the littles in your life. I appreciate that it was written with a real life Loujain in mind. This book proves to be an empowering read for young people and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations.

The symbolism is beautifully done and in learning the real life connection, is made even more special.

A beautiful story about standing up for what you, or your daughter, believes, no matter the cost. The author's sister inspired the story.

This book was amazing. Loujain has always wanted to see the sunflowers from her dad’s picture. But she is not allowed to fly. Flying is for males only. But by questioning and saying why can’t I fly, I would be a good flyer, let me fly, she convinces her dad or her Barba to let her wings take flight. The story is a tad bit long, however what makes it all worth it is the information on who inspired this book. Loujain Alhathloul a leader in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement. She went about driving when it was illegal for women to do so in her country. While still alive she has been restricted in what she can do because of both the law and her legal punishment. I think this woman needs her own real biography but until then, this wonderful story inspired her will have to do.

This was so lovely. A children's picture book with colourful artwork, an important story and a great message. The story is inspired by Loujain AlHathloul's activism work for the women of Saudi Arabia's right to drive on their own, and the book is co-authored by Loujain's sister, Lina Al-Hathloul.

As well as sharing a hopeful, positive message with the kids reading it, I believe this book also lends itself well as a catalyst for important and needed conversations about equity between all people and about women's rights especially.

This is definitely a picture book that I could see myself buying for and sharing with children in my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.

A very beautiful book. Not only because of the illustrations, but also the story. I highly recommend it.

An absolutely beautiful children’s book about persistence, trying to overcome obstacles, the strength and support that can come from family, and fighting for what you believe is right.

Using the metaphor of flight as a way to talk about freedom, breaking the mold and living one’s dreams, this is a great book for teaching metaphors as well as womens rights on a global scale to younger children. The illustrations are so wonderfully whimsical and bright, they highlight the story beautifully.

From the illustrations to the uplifting words to the real life story of a modern activist that is detailed in the afterward, this book is a must add to any children’s library.

I loved this book! the color pallet made the images just pop with life. The story itself was amazingly well written and full of fun characters for readers to enjoy.

This is a very beautiful illustrated book. A little girl wants to learn to fly but everyone tells her she can't because only boys can fly. Then one day she flew. Such a beautiful book.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!

'Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers' is inspired by real-life story of Loujain Alhathloul, sister of Lina Al-Hathloul, who was imprisoned several times and even tortured for speaking out for women's rights in Saudi Arabia where females weren't permitted to drive until 2018. Loujain's character in the book is similar to her original personality, sharing her bravery, determination and drive to create a better future for women.

Little Loujain wants to spread her wings and fly over heavenly sunflower fields, only to be restrained by the society's nonsensical notion that girls don't fly. With the approval of her parents, Loujain goes on to explore the colors, the beauty she craved to see for days. The next day, Loujain is on the first page of the newspaper, marked as the girl who dared to defy the law. Reality is blended with fantastic imagination to tone down the harshness and cruelty, making it easily accessible to the young readers. I was confused at the beginning, then slowly everything fell in place. I especially loved the end where Lina explained who Loujain is and everything she ends for, how she impacted a whole system. Overall, it is a wonderful book filled with encouraging message and exquisite illustrations.

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers is a stunning book. Loujain always dreamed she could fly. In this story, boys and men are allowed to fly but girls and women are not. Inspired by the story of Loujain AlHathloul who was arrested in Saudi Arabia for posting a video of herself driving a car - an act that was illegal there at the time. I love that the author changed the story for this book. Kids love to imagine that they could fly, and they will immediately see the injustice of a place where boys are allowed to fly but girls are not. This book would be an excellent way to introduce the injustices that girls and women face around the world. The richly colourful illustrations are as beautiful as the story. The book would be a great addition to any home or classroom library.

"You know that you can't, Loujain. Girls are not allowed to fly."

"Flying" in this book stands as a metaphor for all the things that girls are not allowed to do in many cultures, governments, and countries around the world. In the story, Loujain will not be stopped - she will learn to "fly," despite flying being a boys-only activity. Add this to your list of inspirational picture books about girls + women overcoming obstacles to achieve their dreams.

I'll be honest, I never heard of Loujain AlHathloul before this book, but after reading this picture book, I had to research her!
It's an empowering tale about a fearless Saudi women's rights activist, a social media figure, and political prisoner who believes that no one should be deterred from their dreams, freedoms, and passions.
The illustrations are lovely and I find the book to embrace a wonderful message for readers of all ages.

Many thanks, NetGalley, Uma Mishra-Newbery, Lina Al-Hathloul herself (that was a treat), and Astra Publishing House, for the ebook for an honest exchange of my review.

I just reviewed Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Uma Mishra-Newbery; Lina Al-Hathloul. #LoujainDreamsofSunflowers #NetGalley

Loujain dreams of flying and seeing sunflowers. She is an adorable and determined lead character that was a great example for my little one of persistence. I will admit that I first took the story as face value, so I was confused as to why Loujain lived in a world where humans could fly by putting on wings but there was still such a big disparity between the treatment of young boys and girls. Once I read the author's note, it's like a lightbulb went off. I did have some knowledge about the fight for women to drive cars in Saudi Arabia and once I realized the author's connection and intent, the book became even more wonderful. Before sharing this book with my own child, we discussed the real world issue and were able to have a great talk about how it connected to Loujain's problem in the book.

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers is a simple and powerful story about change and the hurdles you face if you challenge the status quo. The story is inspired by the life of Loujain who is one of the leaders in the Saudi Women's Rights Movement, who changed the law about women driving without 'guardians'. Loujain was arrested several times for driving alone but she went ahead and did it anyway. In this book, Loujain wants to fly to the sunflower fields but she is not allowed to fly because she is a girl. Will Loujain fly? and who will teach her to fly? The illustrations were also one of a kind, contrasting dull and bright colors, showing both disappointment and hope. A must-read by budding bookworms, to learn to follow their heart and challenge what is not right.

I love the messages of this book. As a mother of a girl, I always try to instill in her that she should try everything and even if she doesn't have her peer's support, she'll have ours. The graphic's were also super cute! I did find some of the panels didn't relate to the story or some of the wording wasn't consistent. Examples I can note are the pictures on the way to school didn't seemed needed since it was conveyed later that she loved the picture her baba gave her more than those and the page at the dinner table when her father said "one day you will" made it seem like she had to grow up more than he was waiting for the law to change. Maybe introducing the law earlier in the story and focusing on why the law didn't make sense and show how it was limiting the women/girls rather would make the story's point get across in a clearer manner.

This book was beautiful, even if I found the metaphor a little strange. Not sure why it couldn't just be about cars. But the wings made the art GORGEOUS, and I learned a piece of history I didn't before! Great story.

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Lina AlHathloul & Uma Mishra-Newbert is illustrated by Rebecca Green.

The book follows Loujain, a young Saudi Arabian budding photographer and dreamer who wants more than anything to (one day) be able to fly like her Baba. We follow her journey as she dreams, wishes, and ultimately confronts her parents about her wish to fly. The book uses ‘flying’ as a symbol to analyze gender laws/customs in Saudi Arabia. Aside from the main message, the underlining takeaway (for me) is the importance of parental/adult support, especially in the face of (yuck) GENDER ROLES/RULES that traditionally keep girls in/out.

There is NO MENTION of a car (or driving) on student-facing books, as some of the reviews will lead you to believe. The book is beautifully illustrated and will resonant with anyone who likes:
• Diverse characters
• Strong female-lead stories
• Stories that challenge gender roles

Based on the rubric I use for recommending diverse books to clients/educators I’ve further rated the book as:
• Diverse authors, not just diverse books - (yes!) 5/5*
• Biases beyond the cover – (none) 5/5
• Intersectionality- 5/5
• Diversity devoid of White gaze/white supremacy ideology- 5/5

*The book is based on the life of Loujain, an activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

This book puts a fabulous perspective on gender rights in a way that young readers will understand. It’s poetic, inspiring, and gut-wrenchingly real. Uma Mishra-Newbery and Lina Al-Hathloul have successfully created a text that empowers and motivates while also touching on the heavy subject of gender inequity in today’s climate. The illustrations are beautiful and eye catching, and coincides with the story so well that a reader can understand using illustration alone. It’s an excellent choice for teaching young readers about a heavy topic in a way they will comprehend and enjoy.