"Asiya's hijab isn't a whisper.
Asiya's hijab is like the sky on
a sunny day.
The sky isn't a whisper.
It's always there, special
and regular.
The first day of wearing hijab
is important, Mama had said.
It means being strong."
School is about to start. That signals the time for Mama to take her daughters, Asiyah and Faizah, to choose Asiyah's first-day hijab. Mama and Asiyah don't agree on color. Mama loves pink; Asiyah chooses the 'the brightest blue.'
Faizah, our narrator, is ready and waiting in the morning, when Asiyah leaves the house dressed in that beautiful head covering. Faizah is proud and happy, and feels like a princess walking with her big sister. Once there, they part. In the line, Faizah is asked about her sister.
"What's that on your sister's head?"
the girl in front of me whispers.
"A scarf," I whisper back.
I don't know why a whisper came out.
I try again, louder now. " A scarf. HIjab."
"Oh," she whispers."
Faizah needs reassurance that Asiya is excited and doing okay. While she is there checking, a boy laughs and points at the head covering. It reminds Faizah about her mama's words:
Some people won't understand your hijab, Mama had said.
But if you understand who you are, one day they will too."
Throughout that first day, Faizah worries enough to stick close to her sister even at recess. As she watches that same boy tease Asiyah, she sees that her sister has ignored what he is saying and gone off with her friends to play tag. Still worried at the end of the day, Faizah is thrilled to see her sister standing strong and smiling. It's all she needs.
A sensitive telling of a lovely family story, this book speaks to the bravery of acceptance and understanding, and to the power of a resilient spirit.
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