Yasmin the Friend

Yasmin #9

by Saadia Faruqi, Hatem Aly (Illustrations)

Yasmin knows exactly what she wants to play when her friends come over. But it turns out her friends have their own ideas. Could a creative compromise make everyone happy?

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Friendship, Realistic Fiction, Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Saadia 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.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yasmin has an idea of what her and her friends will play when Emma and Ali come over. So does Ali. And Emma. Ali is learning to juggle. Emma was recently gifted a jump rope.

From the very beginning, Baba encourages Yasmin to consider and ask what her friends want to do, which is hard because Yasmin really wants to play dress-up. When she complains that they are not being very good friends because they are doing what they want to do, the question is unavoidable: just who is being the bad friend? Also whatever will Yasmin do? The friends came over, presumably to play together, but they are all doing their own thing.

Yasmin has her Eureka! moment and comes up with a game that combines all their interests. It turns into silly fun and by snack time, they are ready to enjoy their cookies, gajar, and glasses of mango lassi—together.

Faruqi writes a familiar scene from—er—childhood here. And in her usual spirit, the answer is a creative one: juggling while jumping rope in costume. Yasmin’s frustration at the unexpected turn playtime takes translates. In words and text, her excitement and expectation build and crumble. But no one can blame Emma or Ali for their own individual enthusiasm.

Baba offers excellent reminders and advice in being hospitable. “Friends are a blessing. We should make them happy.” I like that the situation is complicated by the part where it isn’t just Yasmin and Ali who have a singular interest, but enter Emma and the jump rope as well. But they are friends for a reason, and are all reminded there at the end that they did want to be together.

Three short chapters, large font and spacing, expressive pictures will help a beginner reader. Finding a conflict that will resonate and a solution that is inspired will further provide a positive reading experience. Yasmin is an authentic character with wise parents and friends she cares about. Those following the series will also smile when Yasmin tells her friends the costumes were made by Nani (her grandmother)—Yasmin The Fashionista from Meet Yasmin! is a wonderful story.

Faruqi and Aly have created and continue to successfully build a full and colorful life for Yasmin and her family and friends.  It is easy to recommend these stories for any household of young readers.  Good friends that they are: Faruqi and Aly further spoil us in that Yasmin is Pakastani, that Urdu is laced in, that the home, the clothing, the food are offered as an opportunity to see more on the pages, hear more in the narratives we imbibe, and share

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Read the Fun Facts alongside the young reader, review the Urdu glossary. Drink a Mango Lassi, it’s delicious, and have some gajar, they are good for your eyes.

Noted: the Urdu words are not italicized, which I love and I believe is important. They are legitimate, and they are not foreign words, especially to Yasmin and those readers who will see themselves in her even more clearly than most.

[A Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I want to have a perfect day," Yasmin tells Baba as she gets ready for her friends to come over. He reminds her to ask what her friends want to do and says, "Friends are a blessing. We should make them happy." When Yasmin's friends arrive, one wants to juggle and the other wants to play jump rope, but Yasmin had planned to play dress up with them. Nani made the costumes by the way, which I love. Her friends decline to play dress up and are doing their own things so Yasmin thinks her guests are not being very good friends. While Baba helps Yasmin prepare snacks for their guests, he reminds her to think about what her friends want. Yasmin comes up with a game called "Juggle Jump" which incorporates costumes, juggling, and jump rope! The kids have fun in the end. I like that Yasmin comes up with a solution so that everyone wants to play together and that it involves the activities that each child wanted to do. There are prompts at the back of the book for readers to consider along with 10 Urdu words and their meanings, facts about Pakistan, and an activity that tells readers how to make a jump rope out of plastic bags. I would argue that a perfect day doesn't exist; an entire Yasmin book could be about that first thing said in this book.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was cute but the message was a little be too glaring for me to really enjoy the story (her dad has to tell her twice to think about what her friends want to play). I do this it’s realistic and could be used as a teaching tool for a child having trouble compromising with friends (Yasmin’s compromise is kind of how my husband and compromise by doing both things haha)

(Story 4 in You Can Do It, Yasmin)

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am definitely adding this series to our collection. Fantastic characters with a great story line for early readers. I love that kids will learn a little more about Pakistan through reading a friend story.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

My five year old loves and is so enthusiastic to read all these Yasmin books. Although she isn’t willing to read them on here own, she wants us to do it, haha!What a great Early readers series! Love to see a spunky South Asian female protagonist, rather than who we had to read about as kids.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yasmin is such a creative problem-solver! I never would have thought of the game she comes up with to play with Ali and Emma.

Includes interesting and educational back matter, with instructions for making an upcycled jump rope.

[Linda]

Level K

[Nancy Pickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story about being a good friend and working together.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about my reading level in Spanish (although I did still have to look up some words). Not deep, but fun practice.

[Melanie Swider Wenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about friendship and compromise!