Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi Meg Cornell Faruqi, Saadia Saving Sunshine; illus. by Shazleen Khan. First Second, 2023 [224p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250793805 $22.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9781250793812 $14.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 5-7 On a family trip to Florida, siblings Zara and Zeeshan's constant bickering pushes their parents to a breaking point, and the two kids are given an ultimatum: become friends or their temporary separation from their beloved phones will be permanent. Like many teens, their phones are essential to their identities. Already engaged in animal rights activism, Zara is willing to tolerate Zeesh if she can be reunited with her Nature Journal App; Zeesh, an astronaut aspirant, might abide by his sister if he can watch his NASA videos again. This sibling drama unfolds gently into a multigenerational exploration of Muslim-American experience in a post-9/11 world. Zeesh, bullied at school and bitter to the Islamophobic prejudices he and his family are subjected to, riles at constantly being asked where he is "from" and struggles just to blend in to avoid prejudice. Zara has recently begun to wear the hijab, proud and firm in her identity and frustrated by Zeesh's lack of support. Meanwhile, mom shares her experiences working past hateful comments about her hijab by focusing on the good she can do as an award-winning doctor, and dad advises his children to understand when others have good intentions, lovingly recalling Pakistan when asked where he is "from." Kahn's soft, brown-lined, watercolor illustrations convey both the sun-soaked warmth of the beachy Florida setting as well as the emotional warmth of the main cast. The art style moreover captures a variety of nuanced expressions with an approachably cute quality, offering emotional depth as well as humor and sweetness. Pair with Jen Wang's Stargazing (BCCB 09/19), and with two books, siblings won't have to fight about sharing. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois