Yasmin the Recycler

Yasmin #14

by Saadia Faruqi, Hatem Aly (Illustrator)

Yasmin is thrilled about her school’s new recycling program. But getting her friends to pitch in is no easy task! Will some creative thinking get Yasmin’s friends to be good recyclers?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

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

[Angelique W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book; it's simply written and to the point. The illustrations, which are mostly of characters, are well done and not too complex. My absolutely favorite part of the book is the diversity of Yasmin's classmates: African American, Indian, Muslim, European, etc. The children are in all shapes, sizes, and heights with blond, black, and red hair and blue, brown, and black eyes. I think this is how all children's books should be, where everyone is represented whether it's the reader's reality or not. I also liked that Yasmin's mother and grandmother had hijabs representative of their culture. At the end of the book, writer Faruqi has facts about Pakistan and a list of Urdu vocabulary for some of the words used in the book.

[asiya | アセヤ (free palestine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a nice refresher to another Muslim children's book, but this time there's a twist: It's about the environment!!! YES. This is one of the most perfect books to give to someone who is young and just beginning to read! The art style was cute as always, and I loved how the author mentioned about Pakistan's plan to plant one billion trees, it shows how much Muslim countries care about the planet. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, actually has a plan to plant ten billion trees in his country, and the only issue standing in the way; is if there will be enough seedlings available! With all honesty, the tips and craft taught inside of the book aren't that big of a change to help inspire young people to take a lead in caring for the environment, but I understand the hype. Overall, an amazing read!

[Katie Greer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple, easy reader for elementary kids and embraces diversity. Unfortunately, they get some details about recycling wrong: a recycling symbol on a package does not necessarily mean the item is recyclable and the blue bin should be used for recycling instead of the trash (which is actually corrected on the cover). These are small details for a regular reader, but for my purposes for recycling education, it makes this book hard to recommend.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parathas for everyone!

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to get everyone in the class to recycle and help save the planet? How about a party? A good message in a fun book.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving the planets AND parathas = A+ story

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for Yasmin as she encourages her classmates to recycle actively with a little competition

Included in the Anthology Give it a Try, Yasmin!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I never truly realized the impact of recycling when I was younger.

[Ashley Hamm]

Read for Spanish practice

[Jessica Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter is 7 and enjoyed this book.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yasmin wants her classmates to take recycling seriously. So, she suggests to the principal to throw a paratha party.