Say Something, Poupeh ­Babaee!

Gr 4-7–Moving is difficult—and it is made even harder without parents. For elementary school student Poupeh, moving to America while her parents are stuck in Iran because of a Muslim immigration ban feels nearly impossible. That amount of uncertainty is so overwhelming that Poupeh stops speaking, developing selective mutism—both at school and in her relatives’ home. Unfortunately, speaking is essential to stand up to mean kids at school and to provide testimony for her parents’ visa approval. It’s not a situation any kid should be in, and Massey’s story deftly captures the immense pressure Poupeh feels as she deals with her Persian American cousin’s snark, her classmates’ teasing, and her teacher’s attempts to elucidate fellow students on Middle Eastern culture by making Poupeh the center of attention. Massey’s storytelling feels most natural when exploring Poupeh’s family’s strong sense of Iranian identity, marking holidays, sharing meals, and occasionally noting significant achievements in Persian history. However, the cultural climate of the Muslim Ban, though painfully current and real, sometimes feels stiffly represented within the bounds of this story, especially in a particularly prototypical racist classmate. Qadri’s illustrations are affectingly simple, even elementary, and communicate Poupeh’s intense emotions as she faces the stresses and strains of the adult world at a too-young age.