Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers

Poetic, moving, and empowering.

Inspired by activist Loujain AlHathloul (b. 1989), who, back matter reveals, was incarcerated for her work "to change laws in Saudi Arabia that made it illegal for women to drive cars... without permission from male relatives," this meandering picture book by her sister Lina AlHathloul, with Mishra-Newbery, follows Loujain, who dreams of flying like her baba to "the carpet of a million sunflowers." Only men are allowed to fly using the detachable wings depicted in Green's acrylic gouache and colored pencil illustrations; however, Loujain persists in following dreams that, with others' help, come true. One spread showcases Loujain and her father flying as sensory-rich prose describes their journey: "She ran her fingers like a comb through the awakening purple clouds." By positioning Loujain in a fantastical world--even if its internal logic occasionally lapses--this authorial debut successfully makes a real-life issue accessible for the youngest audiences. Back matter includes more about Loujain AlHathloul. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Gr 3-5--Loujain is a young girl who longs to fly, but lives in a land where it is forbidden for girls to do so. Every morning, her father helps her put wings on, but she is relegated to watching him fly while she is refused that privilege. The injustice makes Loujain angry; she longs to see a field of sunflowers her father told her about, but the only way to see it is to fly to it. Due to her avid interest in using her wings, Loujain's parents agree to support their daughter's dream and her father gives her step-by-step lessons. Various sizes of acrylic gouache and colored pencil illustrations, ranging from vignettes to full-page, are bright with saturated color. Flying is a metaphor used in place of driving, an offense for which the real Loujain Alhathloul was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. Youngsters might have questions about the child doing something unlawful; will she be punished for flying? Will her father get in trouble for teaching her? VERDICT Use this with older picture book readers, where the nuances of right and wrong can be given fuller examination.--Maryann H. Owen