Monday, May 8, 2023

The Blue Scarf by Mohamed Danawi, illustrated by Ruaida Mannaa - ESSENTIAL

The Blue Scarf
 by Mohamed Danawi, illustrated by Ruaida Mannaa
. PICTURE BOOK Running Press Kids. 2022. $18. 9780762478897

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Layla, a middle eastern young girl, lives in a blue world where she feels comfort, love, and familiarity. One day, her beloved mother gives her a blue silk scarf, which Layla wears every day, as she loves it so. One spring morning, raining fire comes down and a strong wind blows her scarf high into the air. Layla hops into her little blue boat, going out to sea to follow her scarf. She encounters worlds of red, yellow, purple, green, and orange, asking each world if the people have seen her scarf, but not one has. Finally, she sails into a rainbow world and finds her that her scarf has been with her the entire time. Layla embraces the rainbow world as this starts a new life for Layla. As Layla travels to find her beloved blue scarf, she encounters worlds with more color than just blue. 

 The illustrations are simple, but bold and depict Layla finding and experiencing new situations and cultures. The different individuals, architecture, customs, and nature are beautifully illustrated so that the reader will be studying each picture and guessing where Layla might be. The story of immigration, change, acceptance, and identity are well-defined and are beneficial to any elementary student.

Deanna M. - Elementary Media Tech

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