Saira Shah Books

Yazmin is so excited to meet her Nani for the first time and play superheroes with her, but when she arrives, communication proves difficult as Nani only speaks Punjabi. However, love has a language all of its own, and Nani creates Yazmin a new superhero doll that looks just like her! They begin using their imagination, sharing play and individual words, and they build a strong bond together, proving that communication is more than just spoken language.

I love the references to Yazmin’s Punjabi heritage – the inclusion of words such as khedo and khaao, applying mhendi and wearing the salwar kameez, as well as the Pakistani tradition of mothers making rag dolls for their children. The vibrant illustrations complement the superhero theme, and speech bubbles and clever text placement all combine to make this a very engaging read. It’s refreshing to see a superhero story with a female protagonist at its heart, too.

The back matter includes a glossary, brilliant instructions for creating a rag doll and a personal note from the author about the inspiration for the story. It would be a superb text to use as a springboard for a DT project or for learning more about and celebrating South Asian culture.