This is an important book to show representation of an underrepresented group, not just those with autism, but also those that love them and live with them. It is also important to spread awareness so that those that do not have first hand experience can show compassion and patience for the individual and those around them as well.
This 16 page book, only 9 pages of text, is written by a mother and daughter about another daughter. It is told from the perspective of 9 year old Juwayriyah and how she sees and helps her younger sister Hind.
I love that it makes it super clear that children with autism are created this way by Allah swt and made special just as all of us are unique and special. I also like that Juwayriyah has had to learn to slow down and say bismillah before often dealing with Hind. It also shows that it is a work in progress and there are good days and bad days. It isn’t smooth sailing, and it isn’t something that needs to be fixed, it is what it is and we must adapt.
The book is wonderful, for what it does and what it represents, however, in terms of story, it is kind of dry. It very much is a nine year old, optimistically talking about her sister and how rubbing her hands has proved a coping skills when she is overwhelmed, but you don’t get to know any of the characters. You don’t feel a bond, or understand what life is like for Hind, or why sometimes she has outbursts or what her triggers are. I don’t know that kids will even understand concretely what autims is other than that it means people with it learn and act and think differently, as no real examples are given.
There is a lot of text on the pages. I think if you know someone with autism or have maybe seen a child having a melt down, children younger kids will enjoy the explanation and fact giving the book provides. Otherwise I think 2nd to 4th graders will get the most out of this book as they start to notice different behaviors and other’s reactions to them.
One could argue that countless people are misplaced each day due to war, and we overlook it because it is easier than dealing with it, so why care about a cat. And to that I challenge the skeptic, animal lover or not, to read this book and not have your heart-strings tugged.
The book is done beautifully. The pictures are warm and endearing and are the only proof that the family is Muslim, by their hijabs. The love the family has for their pet is expressed in the illustrations, and even more so by the real photographs at the end of the book following the Note from Doug and Amy. At 48 pages the book works really well for 3rd grade and up (it isn’t AR) who can marvel at the cat’s journey. I particularly think this book is a great way to show children another aspect of refugees. There are a fair amount of books that talk about the refugee experience or show refugees getting adjusted to a new home. But, this is a great way to show that refugees are not just defined by a word. They are vibrant individual people just like everyone else. By focusing on the cat and his journey, the reader sees what a refugee goes through, particularly this family, and hopefully will stop and think about it. But it doesn’t just show the family in that capacity, it shows them as a vibrant family who loves and desperately misses their cat- something more children may be able to relate to.
This 22 page, simplistic book written in rhyming couplets, is such a timely and necessary book. Much like 
Islamic School Librarian 