Noor Needs to Know!

by Farhana Islam, Nabila Adani (Illustrator)

Overview

A precocious girl makes it her mission to find out why the women in her family wear hijabs in this heartwarming yet funny picture book celebrating Muslim women, curious children, and family love.

Noor loves her mum and all the other hijabi women in her family but wonders why they wear headscarves. Is it to hide snacks for later? Or because they’re super spies hiding their secret identities?

Full of curiosity, Noor sets out to find her answer, but her family are all busy and have no time to answer this important question. Just as Noor is ready to give up on her quest, her Ammu arrives home and knows just the thing to say to crack the case wide open.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665957854
Publisher:	Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/21/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Farhana Islam was born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne and currently residing in Birmingham, UK. She is a primary school teacher with a passion for telling stories and empowering diverse voices. Noor Needs to Know! is her debut picture book.

Nabila Adani lives in Jakarta, Indonesia, and enjoys illustrating different cultures around the world. She originally studied industrial product design in Bandung Institute of Technology, earning her degree in 2013, yet found her way into illustration later in life.

Editorial Reviews

Noor doesn’t wear a hijab yet, and she wants to know why the women in her family wear them. But her auntie, grandmas, and big sister are all busy and respond the same: “Not now, Noor. . . .Go ask somebody else!” Finally, Noor asks her Ammu, who sits her down and tells her about the strength of Muslim women and about how her hijab reminds her of where she’s from. Now that she has more information, “maybe, just maybe” one day she’ll wear one too. While the explanation of the hijab is more poetic than precise, Adani’s hand-painted illustrations bring life to each character, and all the women in the story are imbued with individual identities through both their expressive faces and the different ways (tough, cool, nosy) that Noor views each of her family members. The curiosity of a child who has a million questions and an enormous imagination is further explored through the images in Noor’s thought bubbles, and Noor’s wide-eyed expressions, messy hair, and mismatched socks make her a compelling little protagonist. The book’s multiple two-page spreads are particularly jubilant, both when Noor and her Ammu get swept away in a wave of pastel flowers during their discussion and when the family gathers around the table in joyful cacophony. The book’s celebration of both the hijab and the different ways it’s worn makes this a perfect storytime pick for a classroom of curious kiddos.

5/1/24 - BCCB

2024-03-23
A young girl wonders why the women in her family wear headscarves.

Noor knows that her mother’s hijab isn’t her hair, a towel, or a hat. It looks similar to the headscarves worn by Noor’s aunt and sister, though it differs from her maternal grandmother’s niqab and the loosely draped scarf worn by her paternal grandmother. Why do they all wear hijab? Noor wonders if they’re storing snacks underneath. Or maybe they’re trying to avoid catching lice? Her busy family members dismiss her inquiries. Finally, Noor’s mother tells her that the hijab is part of who she is as a Muslim woman: “We are believers. We are dreamers…My hijab is where I find peace, and it is where I dare to find power.” Though it’s a poignant explanation, some readers may wonder if the omission of religious doctrine is deliberate. Some of Noor’s questions echo the invasive queries Muslim women often encounter (“Is it so nobody can see when you’re having a bad hair day?”). Noor’s description of her niqabi grandmother as mysterious and “secretive” feels like an othering portrayal of Muslim women. Vibrant illustrations depict a variety of textiles, patterns, and decor, and Adani pays special attention to how context influences when characters wear hijab. Noor and her family are cued as Bangladeshi.

A sweet but slightly lacking exploration of hijab. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews