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Yasmin #5-8
Yasmin in Charge
In this collection of four stories, Yasmin takes charge of some sticky situations! At home, at school, or out and about, Yasmin faces challenges head on with creativity and quick thinking. Whether she's creating a new recipe, finding a way to rescue a stuck toy for a little friend, or calming down monkeys (and classmates!), a clever solution to any problem is just around the corner!
96 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2019
About the author
Saadia Faruqi
73 books385 followersSaadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 14, 2019
Another great addition. An irrepressible child.
February 8, 2020
This combined book has four stories, wherein Yasmin manages tricky situations tactfully:
1. In Yasmin the Teacher, she moderates her noisy class in her teacher’s absence.
2. In Yasmin the Chef, an inspiration from a trinket makes her prepare a wholesome snack.
3. In Yasmin the Zookeeper, she turns a mishap into an opportunity for a gesture of love and care.
4. In Yasmin the Superhero, she learns not all heroes need a villian.
What a vibrant character and colourful illustrations! Yasmin reminds me of my 5-year old daughter who is as imaginative and creative as Yasmin. And my daughter connected with Yasmin instantly!
Through Yasmin’s world, the Pakistani American author introduces the language and culture of Pakistan to the reader. Coming from a desi (Asian sub-continent) country myself, I could relate to Yasmin’s world and understand her language with ease. The illustrator has done an amazing job. I love the bold colours, the desi-patterned borders, the choice of colours and patterns for the clothes and dresses. Absolutely fantastic! Another feature that stood out for me was how the author-illustrator team showcased through pictures, the fact that Muslim women reveal their hair at home. It was refreshing to see this minute detail imbibed in the illustrations.
Meet Yasmin! has facts, discussion points, and activities for the parent/teacher-child to go through. Once the stories are over, the book takes the reader to:
1. Think About It, Talk About It, where questions are raised for the child to reflect on oneself and discuss with the parent/teacher.
2. Then the reader gets to Learn Urdu with Yasmin where urdu words are introduced with pronunciation and meanings.
3. Next in line is Pakistani Facts where tidbits of the country’s information are provided.
4. And lastly, a story-based activity for the child to engage in.
The book was on my To-Be-Read list for long, and I am so glad I got to read and review it for the MCBD2020 event. Thank you MCBD organizers and Capstone Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this captivating book!
1. In Yasmin the Teacher, she moderates her noisy class in her teacher’s absence.
2. In Yasmin the Chef, an inspiration from a trinket makes her prepare a wholesome snack.
3. In Yasmin the Zookeeper, she turns a mishap into an opportunity for a gesture of love and care.
4. In Yasmin the Superhero, she learns not all heroes need a villian.
What a vibrant character and colourful illustrations! Yasmin reminds me of my 5-year old daughter who is as imaginative and creative as Yasmin. And my daughter connected with Yasmin instantly!
Through Yasmin’s world, the Pakistani American author introduces the language and culture of Pakistan to the reader. Coming from a desi (Asian sub-continent) country myself, I could relate to Yasmin’s world and understand her language with ease. The illustrator has done an amazing job. I love the bold colours, the desi-patterned borders, the choice of colours and patterns for the clothes and dresses. Absolutely fantastic! Another feature that stood out for me was how the author-illustrator team showcased through pictures, the fact that Muslim women reveal their hair at home. It was refreshing to see this minute detail imbibed in the illustrations.
Meet Yasmin! has facts, discussion points, and activities for the parent/teacher-child to go through. Once the stories are over, the book takes the reader to:
1. Think About It, Talk About It, where questions are raised for the child to reflect on oneself and discuss with the parent/teacher.
2. Then the reader gets to Learn Urdu with Yasmin where urdu words are introduced with pronunciation and meanings.
3. Next in line is Pakistani Facts where tidbits of the country’s information are provided.
4. And lastly, a story-based activity for the child to engage in.
The book was on my To-Be-Read list for long, and I am so glad I got to read and review it for the MCBD2020 event. Thank you MCBD organizers and Capstone Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this captivating book!
September 3, 2019
Like other Yasmin books, this 91-paged story follows Yasmin on a few different adventures where her quick thinking saves the day. This time Yasmin is a teacher, then she’s a chef, then a zookeeper, and finally, a superhero. These books provide pages with a large font, many colorful illustrations scattered throughout the text, and very short chapters — perfect for beginning readers who aren’t yet ready for novels or novellas.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
June 4, 2019
Thank you #BookPosse for the ARC. I have enjoyed reading these early chapter books and I’m sure kids are going to be able to see themselves in the diverse characters. As an intermediate teacher I would use these books to build background knowledge. This one contains Urdu vocabulary. They are engaging and informative. Yasmin is involved in 4 different adventures and has to get herself out of some sticky situations. She is a creative problem-solver and I liked that. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
April 19, 2019
Yasmin has four different adventures in this book. She solves problems and helps others.
Information text on Urdu words included at the end.
Other informative text about Pakistan and discussion topics also included.
Information text on Urdu words included at the end.
Other informative text about Pakistan and discussion topics also included.
June 30, 2019
What a sweet collection of stories!! Enjoyed meeting Yasmin and her family. Love how the book incorporates authentic Pakistani culture including foods, clothing, and the Urdu language. Great way for kids to celebrate who they are and learn about others!
March 14, 2019
This was an adorable book for strong, young readers. We really enjoyed it!
March 20, 2019
Just as darling as the first Yasmin collection. My five year old is getting this one for her birthday next week and she's going to freak out!!!
April 27, 2019
Adorable. I like this second bindup even more than the first.
April 27, 2019
A collection of four stories: Yasmin the Teacher, Yasmin the Chef, Yasmin the Zookeeper, and (my personal favorite) Yasmin the Superhero. Grab a lassi and read!
May 9, 2019
Move over Dick and Jane and Thing 1 and Thing 2, Yasmin Is In Charge! This series of books brings some long-needed diversity to children's easy readers. Well done!
February 4, 2020
Another great book for the youngsters composed of 4 short stories. Again at the, Faruqi has great discussion questions pertaining to each story that can be used at home or at school. She also has a list of Urdu words used in each story translated, simple fun facts about Pakistan, and an easy project on how to make a paper bag super hero. A great learning tool for the classrooms on diversity, manners, and just being a typical kid.
'the Teacher' - Yasmin must keep her class under control when the teacher steps out and puts her in charge. What does Yasmin do when the class gets out of control?
'the Chef' - The family is having a dinner party and Yasmin wants to contribute in the menu. She tries several dishes but they don't turn out good. Will she be able to make something in time?
'the Zookeeper' - Yasmin's class goes on a field trip to the zoo. The monkeys to be fed lunch, but Yasmin accidentally drops their food and the monkeys get upset. Can she think of a solution to feed the monkeys so they don't go hungry?
'the Super Hero' - After reading a book with her Baba, Yasmin wants to become a Super Hero. She goes out into her neighborhood to defeat the villains. Will she find any?
'the Teacher' - Yasmin must keep her class under control when the teacher steps out and puts her in charge. What does Yasmin do when the class gets out of control?
'the Chef' - The family is having a dinner party and Yasmin wants to contribute in the menu. She tries several dishes but they don't turn out good. Will she be able to make something in time?
'the Zookeeper' - Yasmin's class goes on a field trip to the zoo. The monkeys to be fed lunch, but Yasmin accidentally drops their food and the monkeys get upset. Can she think of a solution to feed the monkeys so they don't go hungry?
'the Super Hero' - After reading a book with her Baba, Yasmin wants to become a Super Hero. She goes out into her neighborhood to defeat the villains. Will she find any?
May 11, 2021
Early chapter book featuring Yasmin, a sweet, thoughtful and sassy second grader.
There are 4 stories in the collection, with each story having just 3 chapters. Yasmin has a particular problem in each story and it is resolved in a positive way by the end of chapter 3.
Lots of colorful illustrations to go along with the text. Perfect for a beginning chapter book reader.
Yasmin in Charge continues with more stories about Yasmin who was introduced in Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi. In this collection, when Yasmin is in charge, she comes up with unique and inventive solutions to problems.
There are 4 stories in the collection, with each story having just 3 chapters. Yasmin has a particular problem in each story and it is resolved in a positive way by the end of chapter 3.
Lots of colorful illustrations to go along with the text. Perfect for a beginning chapter book reader.
Yasmin in Charge continues with more stories about Yasmin who was introduced in Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi. In this collection, when Yasmin is in charge, she comes up with unique and inventive solutions to problems.
April 25, 2021
4/18/2021 ~ Capstone seems to be releasing the Yasmin books in two formats. They can be purchased as Early Readers, with just one story per volume (at about 30 pages long) OR as an early chapter book, with 4 stories per volume. This is one of the latter. Yasmin is the "teacher" while her teacher steps into the hall to talk to the principal. In the last story, she becomes a super hero, helping neighbors. In my least favorite, her classmates feed parts of their lunches to zoo animals.
Yasmin is picking up a following in my elementary library, and I look forward to ordering more stories about her. I think the Early Reader format will do better than volumes with 4 stories.
Yasmin is picking up a following in my elementary library, and I look forward to ordering more stories about her. I think the Early Reader format will do better than volumes with 4 stories.
July 28, 2020
Overall I liked these stories better than the ones in Meet Yasmin.(the zoo one keeps me from giving this a five star rating)
I did review them individually. Like with Meet Yasmin, there is a discussion guide in the back along with an Urdu guide, Pakistan facts and a craft idea. I’m a little sad that this book’s back matter didn’t include a recipe like Meet Yasmin did, especially considering the chef story that is included in this collection. (This is another reason I didn’t give it 5 stars). Still a very highly recommended collection!
I did review them individually. Like with Meet Yasmin, there is a discussion guide in the back along with an Urdu guide, Pakistan facts and a craft idea. I’m a little sad that this book’s back matter didn’t include a recipe like Meet Yasmin did, especially considering the chef story that is included in this collection. (This is another reason I didn’t give it 5 stars). Still a very highly recommended collection!
April 23, 2021
I can't think of any early chapter books featuring Pakistani or Muslim characters, and our family doesn't know any Pakistani-American or Muslim people, so I am really thankful for this book series, for normalizing both experiences. Yasmin is a regular girl who is part of a multigenerational Pakistani American family. While I was reading the Urdu glossary at the back, I stopped to describe the hijab, which Yasmin's mother puts on when she leaves the house. I explained to my six year old that hijabs have been banned/highly restricted in France, and she asked, "Why? They're so beautiful." So although of course there's more learning to be done, in our limited COVID-19 world where my kids are exposed to so few people, it's nice to have this book that promotes more understanding and acceptance.
June 23, 2020
When her teacher steps out of the classroom, Yasmin is put in charge of the class. The students start to get out of control and quick-thinking Yasmin has to come up with a solution to this problem, pronto! Brightly colored illustrations add meaning to each page of the early chapter book Yasmin in Charge, by author Saadia Faruqi and illustrator Hatem Aly. Kids age 6 - 8 will enjoy reading about intrepid Yasmin.
April 9, 2020
There might not be enough words to tell you how much I love Yasmin! Her try again attitude, the look into her Pakistani culture, her family life. Warm fuzzies all over! Thank you @saadiafaruqi for this gem!
March 1, 2021
A cute series following a spunky main character who goes on four different adventures. Pakistani culture is woven into each story seamlessly and Yasmin is a likeable, relatable character. I definitely want to read more in this series.
March 25, 2021
A fun series of short tales about a plucky girl names Yasmin. It is a great way to talk about Pakistani culture in a way for kids to connect to and shows beautifully that kids are awesome, no matter their culture.
Highly recommended for beginning readers 7-11 years old.
Highly recommended for beginning readers 7-11 years old.
April 25, 2022
What a cute collection of some of her most popular short stories! I loved reading these all, and the depth and meaning from within each one was just so priceless and perfect. What an adorable new series!!!
May 9, 2022
Yasmin is Pakistani and she takes charge in four different situations to problem solve each one.
I enjoyed the multicultural representation of Pakistani food, clothing, and words in Urdu sprinkled in the stories.
I enjoyed the multicultural representation of Pakistani food, clothing, and words in Urdu sprinkled in the stories.
January 9, 2020
Excellent stepping stone chapter book between easy readers and longer chapters. Good job showing diversity without focusing on differences more than similarities.
March 8, 2020
Another wonderful collection of Yasmin stories. My kids love them!
April 26, 2020
Perfect little kids book or first independent reader. Brilliantly written and brilliant message.
May 20, 2020
Using problem-solving skills and kindness, Yasmin meets challenges of four different jobs in these four short chapter books.
Includes: teacher, chef, zookeeper, superhero or everyday hero.
Includes: teacher, chef, zookeeper, superhero or everyday hero.
August 5, 2020
Charming. Plus I got to learn some new Urdu words.
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February 24, 2021Read for children's lit class
May 4, 2021
Love Yasmin so much!
May 12, 2021
I love Yasmin!! Give us more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews