Maysoon Zayid, The Girl Who Can Can by Dr. Seema Yasmin

Today, we're going to head into the nonfiction realm, while dancing a tiny bit into fiction. This read centers around a woman named Maysoon Zayid. I haven't heard the name before but am always excited to learn more. Afterall, there are so many inspiring people that seem to often get lost in the waves of history and life. 

So, let's open this one up and learn a little along the way.

MAYSOON ZAYID

THE GIRL WHO CAN CAN

by Dr. Seema Yasmin

Illustrated by Noha Habaieb

Salaam Reads

Children's Nonfiction

80 pages

ages 6 to 10

COMING FEBRUARY 10th!!!

From the prolific Pulitzer Prize–nominated Muslim reporter Dr. Seema Yasmin comes an exciting nonfiction chapter book about one of America’s first female Muslim comedians—Maysoon Zayid—the first in the riveting and inspirational Muslim Mavericks.

This is the story of the girl who could!

Maysoon Zayid was just a girl from New Jersey. She might have sometimes felt like she was in the shadow of her three older sisters, but in her dreams, she was Mimi—an amazing actress, comedian, and dancer! The only problem? People kept telling Maysoon her dreams were impossible!

Achieving her goals certainly wasn’t easy; as a Palestinian Muslim girl born with cerebral palsy, Maysoon faced all sorts of challenges—both physical and societal. But Maysoon didn’t dare give up. Instead, she followed her heart all the way to the screen and stage to become one of America’s first ever women Muslim comedians and an actress on her favorite TV show.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

With heart and determination, Maysoon Zayid refuses to let go of her goals no matter who tries to steer her away.

Maysoon Zayid was born to Palestinian immigrants and came from New Jersey. She was the youngest of four girls and dreamed of becoming an actress and more. Entertainment was her dream, and she was especially won over by the soap opera, General Hospital. From the moment she entered school, the barriers, however, mounted thanks to her cerebral palsy (CP). Although her family was a constant fan base and cheered her on, the CP continually acted as a stumbling block no matter how talented she was or how much effort she gave. Still, her unrelenting drive keeps hope in front of her.

This book is chucked full of inspiration, and it highlights how Maysoon Zayid's never-dying efforts finally led to achievements. Readers not only learn about Maysoon's journey and who she was but also see how others aren't always aware of what a person can achieve. In other words, don't let the opinions around you necessarily hold you back. Maysoon's tale also brings awareness to cerebral palsy in a meaningful manner. Add the wonderful support her family constantly gave her, and this is a read with many positive aspects.

The book is aimed at those readers, who are sure of their words and almost ready to dive into middle grade novels...but need just a tiny bit more practice. It does toss in a few more difficult terms to stretch word building skills but only a few so as not to frustrate. The large font and spacing makes it easier to read, and the illustrations add a nice touch. There are mentions of 'older' soap operas and such, which young readers won't recognize and are only understandable for older, adult audiences, but these the author makes sure to add enough explanation to keep it clear why Maysoon was so interested in them. 

Not only readers, who enjoy learning more about inspirational woman will enjoy this one, but it also is a nice addition to classrooms, groups and homeschoolers, who want to explore women, who achieved their dreams, or even a dive into areas such as cerebral palsy. 

And here they are...

Seema Yasmin is an Emmy Award–winning journalist who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, medical doctor, professor, and poet. She attended medical school at Cambridge University and worked as a disease detective for the US federal government’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. She currently teaches storytelling at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a regular contributor to CNN, Self, and Scientific American, among others.

Noha Habaieb is a Tunisian French visual storyteller, working between Doha and Tunis. After studying comics in Belgium, she returned to Tunisia where she cofounded the Lab619, an award-winning comics collective. Noha took part in the evolution of Lab619’s first comics magazine for adults by participating with her original comics and organizing artistic residencies themed around migration, identity and borders. In 2017, she cofounded Koskh, an illustration studio based in Tunisia, which aims to promote Tunisian heritage through illustrations for children and adults. She’s the illustrator of the Muslim Mavericks chapter book series written by Pulitzer Prize–nominated Dr. Seema Yasmin.