I love it when
*adds a GIF/picture of Saoirse Ronan saying "Women" from Little Women*

People may tell you that you can’t do something because of the way you look, dress, or pray. Your name may sound different. Never forget that you are extraordinary. You are powerful, brave, and clever. Great things come from people like you.
—Saira Mir

This nonfiction picture book from Salaam Reads showcases nineteen contemporary Muslim women who are doing extraordinary things.

These are the women who are featured:
• Amanda Saab is a former cooking competition contestant as well as the founder of the Dinner with Your Muslim Neighbor initiative and her own bakery.
• Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is the founder of the MuslimGirl website.
• Hana Tajima is a fashion designer; she has worked with UNIQLO to make clothing for hijabi women.
• Dalia Mogahed is a researcher and political advisor.
• Hibah Rahmani is a flight control engineer at NASA.
• Ibtihaj Muhammad is an Olympic fencer.
• Ilhan Omar is a member of the US House of Representatives.
• Ilyasah Shabazz is a writer and activist.
• Linda Sarsour is an activist and was a leader of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington.
• Malala Yousafzai is the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize; she fights for the education of girls worldwide.
• Maria Toorpakai Wazir is a world champion in squash.
• Maryam Mirzakhani was the first female mathematician to win the Fields Award—the highest honor in mathematics.
• Muzoon Almellehan is a Syrian refugee who spoke about the importance of education at the UN.
• Negin Farsad is a comedian.
• Nura Afia is a makeup artist and advocate for beauty equality.
• Kamala Khan is a superhero! While she is fictional, there are two amazing Muslim women behind her character: G. Willow Wilson is the author behind the comic book series, and Sana Amanat is the artist at Marvel Comics who teamed up with Wilson to create her.
• Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is a filmmaker.
• Shirin Ebadi has been a judge and a lawyer, and she was the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Each spread includes an illustration of the featured woman at work, a quote from her, and her story. The stories focus on how the women turned their childhood interests into a way to be their most authentic selves and change the world.

The women who are included represent a range of interests and careers across the arts, sports, intellectual pursuits, and activism.

Never take no for an answer. If a door hasn’t opened up for you, it’s because you haven’t kicked it hard enough.
—Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

A copy of this book belongs in every classroom and library, and while this book is intended for children, I can see it being of interest to people of all ages.

As always, links to where you can find the book are on the blog.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What does a NASA flight control engineer, a world chmapion squash player, a Marvel comic creator and a US Representative all have in common? They are all Muslim women. This book features the real-life stories of modern day Muslim girls and women who are breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes and leading incredible lives. Filled with familiar and new faces, this book will teach every reader something new and the biographies are short enough for young readers. This book would make a great addition to any diverse picture book library.

Who are the role models that young Muslim girls can look to for inspiration? This is a collection of nineteen such women that all women can look to for how to be a groundbreaker. There is something for every girl from a hopeful astronaut, Hibah Rahmani, to an Olympic athlete, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and even a Cover Girl, Nura Afia. Each profile includes an illustration of the woman, a quote from her, and a brief summary of her story. The woman showcased both choose traditional Muslim dress including the hijab and those who choose more westernized clothing. One of the women, Maria Toorpaki Wazir, even dressed as boy to escape the oppression of women in her native Palestine. The book includes colorful and engaging digital illustrations. My one concern with profiles is that if the woman being profiled chooses to wear hijab, they highlight this fact and give it more weight than her accomplishments. I think this is a book is good steppingstone for a girl looking for inspiration from a woman who looks like herself, but I would appreciate a great focus on the women’s accomplishments not their apparel. There is a bibliography at the end if a girl wanted to learn more about one or more of the nineteen women profiled.

3.5-4 stars. This book is a collection of short biographies of 19 Muslim women, many of whom are American. The list includes Nobel prize winners Malala Yousafzai and Shirin Ebadi, Representative Ihlan Omar, and bronze medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad. It even includes fictional,comic book superhero Kamala Khan. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Read Harder-memoir different religious tradition).

Muslim Girls Rise is a straightforward and charming book that gives us a beautiful and inspiring history of nineteen different contemporary Muslim women who have impacted and continue to impact the world. The illustrations are gorgeous, the storytelling style is straightforward and simple, and the message is clear, bold, and empowering. Definitely recommended!

This is a fun picture book for elementary kids with a great message. It's a collection of amazing Muslim women who have made a difference, ranging from a vlogging make-up artist to a persecuted Iranian judge. There are Nobel peace prize winners, comic book writers, activists, mathematicians, and clothes designers. Each woman gets a portrait, a quote, and a quick description of how her life was awesome. Some wear hijab, some don't, some are young, some old, some are Arabic, some aren't. So there's a good variety of people, although I was wishing for some LGBTQ content.

The backmatter has a bibliography of the article where the information on each woman was gathered.

I liked this book but the text and pictures didn't wow me. It does what it says on the tin, and it's a very nice tin.