This was a tender story with beautiful illustrations. I really enjoyed the brother-sister dynamic with the added layers of activism and identity.

Twins Zara and Zeeshan don't like each other. They can't go more than 10 minutes together before getting into a fight. While on a trip to Florida, their parents confiscate their phones and force them to spend time with each other. Despite a rocky start, Zara and Zeeshan start to learn more about each other and the other's interest. Zeeshan helps Zara care for a sick sea turtle, and Zara finds a lighthouse observatory for them to visit. Through their time together, they will learn they have more in common than they think - they are both extremely passionate, headstrong and hurting from racist harassment. A beautiful graphic novel about siblings learning to stick together even when they start to grow apart.

Recommended for all middle school libraries and high school libraries where MG circulates well. A must purchase for public libraries.

Adorable. I fell in love with the twins and their stories; it’s so easy to get lost in being competitive with a sibling that you forget the bond you share. I loved the way that this aspect was represented within this piece. This is definitely something I’ll be grabbing a physical copy of upon release - thanks first second for the galley <3

I love Saadia Faruqi's books, and this graphic novel didn't disappoint. The book read more as a slice of life, with some animal advocacy and a spotlight on religious tolerance. Overall I felt like it was a good look at family and sibling relationships, and how similar we all are when you get down to it.

This would be a good book to introduce diversity in religious habits and would help readers explore how their words can affect others. I think it would be a good book club or class discussion book.

"Saving Sunshine" by Saadia Faruqi is a gorgeous book both in story and art! Zara and Zeeshan are twins who cannot stop fighting. When their family takes a trip so that their mother can accept a prestigious award at a conference, the parents decide they've had enough of the constant bickering, and they take the twins' phones away for the entire trip. Both kids are devastated, as they had planned to be on their phones for most of the trip. Without their phones, the twins are forced to abandon their plans and spend all their time together. As they try to rediscover how to get along, they find an injured turtle on the beach, who Zara names Sunshine. Working together to save the turtle, they may just save themselves too. This is above all a beautiful family story, but it also delves into prejudice and discrimination in an authentic way. Highly recommended for middle grade collections and readers of all ages.

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi is a sweet and beautiful story about family, love, and activism. The story revolves around two twins, a brother and sister, who just can’t get along. When they’re forced to spend time together on vacation and get their phones taken away by their parents, they find a sick turtle and decide to save it together. The brother and sister couldn’t be more different and at first find it hard to get along, but eventually they find ways to work together and become closer than ever. This sweet story will teach kids about new cultures and will help kids to realize that our differences are nothing to be afraid or ashamed of.

Twins Zara and Zeeshan used to be close but now they're always fighting. One loves animals, the other space. The two are forced to reconnect and find common ground when their squabbling results in the loss of phones on a family vacation.

Interwoven with the main story are flashbacks of things like when Zara first chose to wear a hijab in public.

The author crafts a realistic narrative, weaving together strands of the past (mostly less pleasant, including incidents of racism) and drawing together the characters in the present. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it for roughly 3rd grade up.

A very sweet and beautiful story about being young siblings but also being Muslim in America. Some of it reminded me of my siblings and it made me emotional at times.

This was a great #ownvoices, middle grade graphic novel about two Muslim American twin siblings who are forced to spend time together on vacation and end up working out their differences to help save a sick loggerhead turtle. Beautiful illustrations and important messages about not judging other people based on differences. Highly recommended. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Zara and Zeeshan are twins, and really don't like each other. Find out what happens on a family trip to see if they can learn to get along at last.
This illustrations and dialogue help tell the story of these two siblings, the children of Pakistani immigrants and difficulties they have faced being Muslim-Americans in post 9/11 USA.

Graphic novel for siblings that argue, have a lot of kids that may well understand what that’s like. Looking forward to seeing this one finalized, reading on smart phone is tough for old-ish eyes

Gorgeously illustrated and beautifully told, this graphic novel expertly covers sibling dynamics while incorporating adventure and timely social issues.

A great thing about reading books months before they come out, is going in to a book with no expectations. I saw Saadia Faruqi's name on this book and figured it would be great, but I wasn't prepared to be blown away by the artwork. I think the last middle grade graphic novel that I found this beautiful was Victoria Jamieson's When Stars Are Scattered. The illustrations of the night sky, the ocean, and flashbacks to the childhood of the two protagonists and their parent's were especially well-rendered. I loved the combination of fixed panels and full-bleed illustrations that added to the emotional depth of the book.

As for the story -- I thought it worked well with the art and was a unique and important perspective on growing up as a Muslim in America. The prejudice and racism that Zara and Zeesh face is palpable and believable. But seeing these kids continue in their passions despite that is inspiring. I think that the sections about Zara's choice to wear hijab were especially powerful. I'm also a sucker for a story about the power of family love and this one checked all the boxes.

I really enjoyed this! The art was gorgeous, and it was really sweet to follow these siblings reconnecting with each other while also reckoning with finding their place in the world. Occasionally the conflict/dialogue felt a bit stilted, but other than that, no complaints here. (Did I mention the art is gorgeous?)