Review: The Boldest White

The Boldest White

Series: The Proudest Blue

Authors: Ibtihaj Muhammad and SK Ali
Illustrator: Hatem Aly

Little Brown Book and Company, 2024

ISBN: 9780759555716 (hardcover)

$18.99 CAD (hardcover)

40 pages

Ages: 4 to 9 years

The Boldest White is the third installment in the Proudest Blue series from the authors and illustrator team, Muhammad, Ali and Aly, about Faizah and her sister, Asiya. Faizah feels safe when she is part of a crowd. She is just as at ease at both Jammah prayers and her fencing lessons. But when her classmates watch her, she freezes up! When her coach suggests she compete in an upcoming tournament, Faizah doesn’t know if she can do it. The Boldest White is a sweet story about learning to be brave. The text is simple and age appropriate. The artwork is engaging, with bright, warm colours that show Faizah’s mood and world. There is a particularly lovely spread that features one the book’s central messages about Faizah learning to nurture her bravery in her heart and mind. This heartwarming, diverse read centres a Black Muslim family and their community. Appropriate for children 4-9. Other titles in the series: The Proudest Blue; The Kindest Red.