The kindest red A story of hijab and friendship

Faizah is excited about picture day at school because it means she gets to wear the red dress that once belonged to her older sister as well as her mother. At school, the teacher asks the children to imagine the sort of world they want. Faizah decides she wants a kind world where there is always a friend close by, and at recess she and her friend Sophie go about creating exactly that. They play the games their peers want and help out when friends need an extra hand. When recess is over and it's time for the class picture to be taken, everyone has a big smile, thanks to all that shared kindness. Then it is time for sibling photos, and Faizah is devastated to see that she and her sister Asiya do not match at all. Fortunately, since it is a world of kindness, someone comes to her rescue, and all is well. This cheerful multicultural book, brimming with optimism and hope, will make a lovely read-aloud or bedtime story.

The creators of the bestselling The Proudest Blue (2019) return with a tale of siblings, friendship, and acts of kindness. For picture day, Faizah wears a red dress that belonged first to Mama and then to her older sister, Asiya. Asiya does Faizah's hair in puffs, Faizah pins Asiya's hijab, and, with kind words from Mama, off they go to school, where Faizah finds she matches with her friend Sophie, who has light skin and red hair and is wearing a dress with red roses. Brown-skinned Ms. Ramirez asks the students to imagine the kind of world they want and to draw and label it. Faizah draws a kind world, and Sophie draws a superhero world. Then, at recess and throughout the day, they use their superpowers to make the world kinder, helping other kids and brightening their days. By picture time, everyone in class is smiling. But when it's time for sibling photos, Faizah is upset to realize that, unlike the other sibling pairs, she and Asiya don't match. Can her friends find a way to help? Helping others looks fun and rewarding in this sweet tale that empowers readers by showing them their actions can result in a world everyone would want to live in. This much-needed positive representation of a loving Black Muslim family is set within a diverse community, depicted with Aly's characteristic expressive energy and charm. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A loving and lovely celebration of the many ties--sisterly, friendship, communal--that bind. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.