Mariam's dream The story of Mariam Al-Shaar and her food truck of hope

Here's the true story of Mariam Al-Shaar, a generational Palestinian refugee living in a Lebanese camp, where she and her community aren't afforded the same rights as citizens. It's worse for the women, who barely have a voice, and the effectively simple text emphasizes Al-Shaar's determination as she identifies the need for more, rallies the similarly headscarfed women of her community, and opens a kitchen where they can work, make money, and live fuller lives, inspiring their community. Avedikian presents Al-Shaar and her compatriots in sweet, minimalistic strokes, the mood shifting through their expressive faces and background color fills often peppered with swirling plates of Middle Eastern cuisine. A series of "walls" hinder Al-Shaar's dream of a food truck, until she finally succeeds. While Boukarim wisely avoids the mundane minutiae of the systemic roadblocks faced by these refugee women, the lack of specificity makes the tale of perseverance and triumph feel a bit generic--though it's alleviated somewhat by back matter on Al-Shaar and refugee life. Still, this provides an accessible entry point to many critical issues of the day.

Born in a Beirut refugee camp, Mariam Al-Shaar (b. 1972) "will never be Lebanese./ She is Palestinian but may never go to Palestine./ Mariam is the daughter of refugees--/people who live between worlds." Though the camp walls "keep her from working,/ from growing, from dreaming," she nevertheless yearns to "do something, and she knows she can't do it alone." When she reaches out to the women of her camp, they express a love of cooking, "flavors from Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon." The result is Soufra, a women-run food business operated within the camp that slowly, facing discriminatory setbacks, expands to a food truck. Though the creators only briefly touch on Al-Shaar's childhood, Avadikian's digital images employ bright hues along with textured splashes, swirls, and waves in this work about an individual who dared "to dream of a better tomorrow." Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author's note concludes. Ages 5--8. (Apr.)

The catering company Soufra is born when a Palestinian refugee dreams of a way to empower women. Mariam al-Shaar was born in Lebanon, but she isn't a citizen--she is a generational refugee, born to Palestinian parents. She and the others who live in their Beirut camp have little work, little say, and little hope. But Mariam dreams of more. Together with the women of her community, she decides to create a kitchen where people can come to cook meals from their home countries and earn a living. As her business grows, so do Mariam's ambitions of owning a food truck, but the challenges she faces as a refugee with few rights feel as imposing as the walls that surround her. Unbroken and unintimidated, Mariam fights for two years for the legal right to share the food of Soufra outside her camp. Though Boukarim doesn't entirely clarify how Mariam succeeds, her account is a stirring one, demonstrating that one person can truly make a difference with the power of perseverance. Avedikian's digitally created illustrations are colorful and full of movement, capturing the forward momentum of Mariam's aspirations for a better future for those around her. An author's note, information about refugees and refugee camps, and a bibliography offer readers the opportunity to learn more, while a beautiful visual food glossary spotlights the featured dishes. Uplifting and highly inspirational.(Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.