The first book in the exciting middle-grade series starring a Muslim boy with a huge imagination—now in paperback!Welcome to the imaginative brain of Omar!
Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work is too hard or the kids are mean or the teacher is a zombie alien?!
But when Omar makes a new best friend, things start looking up. That is, until a Big Mean Bully named Daniel makes every day a nightmare! Daniel even tells Omar that all Muslims are going to be kicked out of the country . . . Could that possibly be true?
Luckily, Omar's enormous imagination and goofy family help him get through life's ups and downs.
Omar's funny, relatable narrative is the perfect answer to the call for both mirrors and windows to fill bookshelves with diverse stories.
An NPR Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Best Book of the YearA USBBY Outstanding International Book SelectionA Top 10 NYPL Best Book of the yearA Middle East Book Award NomineeA Fuse #8 Great Middle Grade Novels of 2020 listA Bluestem Book Award Nominee (Illinois)A Maine Student Book Award NomineeA Sasquatch Award Nominee (Washington)
On sale: January 11, 2022
Age: 7-10 years
Grade: Grades 6-8
Page count: 240 Pages
ISBN: 9780593109236
Reading level: Lexile: 820L | Fountas/Pinnell: S
Zanib Mian was a science teacher before launching a small independent publisher, Muslim Children's Books. Passionate about representation in children's publishing, she is on the panel of judges for the prestigious Young Muslim Writers Awards.
Nasaya Mafaridik is based in Indonesia. Self-taught, she has a passion for children's books and bright, colourful stationery.
★ “In their debut, Mian and Mafaridik create a relatable and hilarious story . . . Exploding with personality and imagination, Omar is an easy character to love.” —
Booklist, starred review
"A very kid-friendly and appealingly honest story about being different, being labeled 'other.'" —
The New York Times Book Review
“Wildly imaginative Omar’s free-association narrative, laced with expressive hand lettering and Mafaridik’s playfully exaggerated line art, remains chipper and uplifting.” –
Publishers Weekly
“Mian seamlessly weaves Islamic values and teachings through Omar's chatty narration . . . Readers will be excited to see where Omar’s imagination will take him next.” —
Kirkus Reviews
“The playful text is bolstered with illustrations throughout that show off [Omar’s] creativity and imagination. A great #OwnVoices story for children to learn more about connection and empathy.”
—School Library Journal
“Elementary school readers will find both a funny, relatable new companion and a primer on Muslim family life with the start of this series. . . Mafaridik’s cartoony artwork and illustrative lettering visualize Omar’s imagination.” —
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
