Shahrzad Maydani

Girls reign in these two lovely picture books, each uniquely illustrated and overflowing with color and character (and animals!).

Harriet’s Reflections, written and illustrated by Marion Kadi, was originally published in France in 2021, but has since been published in the US, in 2024, by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. This unusual book earned starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and BookPage. The story starts on a sad note, the death of a lion, but soon turns light-hearted when we see that the lion’s reflection has a life all its own. The reflection, feeling bored, sets off in search of someone new in order to be their reflection and comes upon the spunky Harriet. Harriet accepts him, forgetting all about her own reflection, and, with a lion as her new reflection, Harriet heads off to school feeling more confident than ever. She has the best day, but, by the second day, things take a turn when her wild side takes over, getting her into trouble, and she begins to miss her old reflection. Now Harriet has to learn to balance two reflections, which we come to understand represent two sides of her personality.

There’s a subtle message here about self-reflectance, recognizing and accepting the different parts of ourselves. One day, we might feel confident, ready to take on the world, and the next, we might feel like being alone, and there’s nothing wrong with either. All people, kids included, experience changing moods and lots of big, or small, feelings, and no one has just one side. As quiet as the concept of self-reflectance may seem, the brightly colored acrylic illustrations in this book really jump off the page and are full of life and movement. Harriet’s classmates are a diverse group of children, and different animals can be seen throughout the book. You’ll want to spend some time “reflecting” on each page, as the pictures are imaginative and cleverly done. Marion Kadi did a fantastic job showing the “fluid” lion reflection in various puddles and mirrors. And the art on the endpapers is gorgeous!

Sourgrass, written by Hope Lim and illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani, was published by Beach Lane Books in 2024. This sweet story introduces readers to best friends Sofia and May who meet everyday at the gate that separates their two yards. Sometimes they play in Sofia’s yard and sometimes in May’s yard. Eventually, they discover the beautiful fields beyond their yards, which are spilling over with wild sourgrass flowers. They have even more fun playing in and racing through the fields and rolling down the yellow, flower-covered hills, until, one day, May moves away, leaving Sofia to play by herself, which, of course, just isn’t the same. But they keep in touch by letter, and that reassures Sofia that May will never forget her, that they will never forget each other and the days they spent playing together in the fields of sourgrass.

This is a story about friendship, about childhood, about a time when life was simple and days were spent playing, without worries or cares, until a life-changing event happens–your very best friend in the world moves away. Something like that can deeply affect a child. I mean, their whole world can be turned upside down. That’s why I like that Hope Lim chose to include the letter writing so the girls could keep in touch and have a long-distance friendship, which brings comfort to Sofia. And a little hint of happier days ahead is depicted on the last page. This book also has a lot going on in the art. Shahrzad Maydani’s chalk pastel and watercolor illustrations are so dreamy, colorful, yet blended and, at times, muted, perfectly expressing playful memories that melt together under the summer sun. The pictures are a feast for the eyes, inviting the reader to linger on each page. Kids will have a joyful time discovering the various animals “hidden” throughout and noticing that even Sofia and May’s stuffed animals seem to come alive.

Though different, these charming books have some similarities and would make a great pairing. Both are worthy of repeat readings, too, and I love how you can discover new animals with each new viewing!

A male African Lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away.

Title: Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love

Author: Saira Mir

Illustrator: Shahrzad Maydani

Publisher/Year: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/2023

Favorite Line from the Book: She’s not here yet, but she’s already my little sunshine.

With so much heartbreaking news in the world right now, I was hesitant about posting this review because this book’s topic is, to put it simply, sad. But October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and, if just one person who has experienced the grief of pregnancy loss finds comfort and healing in the message shared by author Saira Mir and illustrator Shahrzad Maydani in the pages of Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love, then it’s worth spreading the word here on Frog on a Blog about such a powerful picture book.

Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love, published August 22, 2023, by Simon & Schuster, is about a little girl named Raya who can barely contain her excitement that she will soon have a baby sister. She knows that they will be best friends and have so much fun together running, playing, laughing, eating chocolate ice cream, and watching their favorite cartoons. Raya tells all her schoolmates about her baby sister, though she’s not yet born. She even says she doesn’t need a birthday gift this year because her little sister, whom she calls Nura, will be her gift. But happiness and anticipation soon turn to sadness and confusion when she’s told Nura won’t be coming after all. Raya learns to handle her grief through expressions of love for Nura, like drawing pictures, talking with her family and kids at school, and helping her parents plant a magnolia tree on the day that would have been Nura’s birthday, a tree that will help them all remember how Nura would have grown.

Shahrzad Maydani’s soft colored illustrations, rendered in chalk pastels and watercolors, have a hazy, dream-like, quality about them, almost as if the whole story is made of memories, which I think is a good choice for such a heavy topic.

Grief is universal, felt by everyone who loses a loved one, but young children often have a difficult time processing it. Always Sisters: A Story of Loss and Love can help kids manage such a weighty emotion in a sensitive way, especially if shared in a safe environment with family or counselors. In an author’s note at the end of the book, Saira Mir speaks about her and her family’s own experience with the loss of a baby. She says, “Talking about sad feelings isn’t easy, but sharing what’s in your heart can help you feel better.”