Uma Mishra-Newbery

This is a story inspired by the life of Loujain AlHathloul, the Saudi women’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee who challenged patriarchy and continues to be unjustly persecuted.

Young Loujain dreams of flying like her dad, who literally has wings in this gently fantastical tale. She longs to see a field of sunflowers pictured in a photo given to her by her father, but the only way to get there is by flying, and girls aren’t allowed to fly. When she tells her friends about her show more dream of flying, they ridicule her. After a good cry in her bedroom, Loujain confronts her father: “It is not fair that I cannot fly,” she asserts. “Why not me?” Her mother agrees: “You have to believe things will change. Otherwise they never will.” A wordless montage across a double-page spread shows Loujain receiving flying lessons from her father. Soon, he is able to take her on daily practice flights at sunrise. Finally, one day, Loujain is ready for the longest flight yet—the journey to the field of a million sunflowers. Green’s illustrations, rendered in acrylic gouache and colored pencil, are beautifully representational, using plant, flower, star, moon, and sky motifs to capture the flourishing of a young girl’s potential and the scope of her ambition. Cowritten by AlHathloul’s sister (also an activist), this inspiring story is capped off with a short, informative bio of Loujain AlHathloul and a profound letter to the reader about summoning one’s courage to dream and create a better world.

Poetic, moving, and empowering. (Picture book. 5-12)

-Kirkus Review show less

Loujain watches her beloved baba attach his feather wings and fly each morning, but her own dreams of flying face a big obstacle: only boys, not girls, are allowed to fly in her country. Yet despite the taunts of her classmates, she is determined to do it—especially because Loujain loves colors, and only by flying can she see the color-filled field of sunflowers her baba has told her about. Eventually, he agrees to teach her, and Loujain's impossible dream becomes reality—and soon other show more girls dare to learn to fly.

Based on the experiences of co-author Lina AlHathloul's sister, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Loujain AlHathloul, who led the successful campaign to lift Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving, this moving and gorgeously illustrated story reminds us to strive for the changes we want to see—and to never take for granted women's and girls' freedoms. show less

This book was amazing. Loujain has always wanted to see the sunflowers from her dad’s picture. But she is not allowed to fly. Flying is for males only. But by questioning and saying why can’t I fly, I would be a good flyer, let me fly, she convinces her dad or her Barba to let her wings take flight. The story is a tad bit long, however what makes it all worth it is the information on who inspired this book. Loujain Alhathloul a leader in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement. She went show more about driving when it was illegal for women to do so in her country. While still alive she has been restricted in what she can do because of both the law and her legal punishment. I think this woman needs her own real biography but until then, this wonderful story inspired her will have to do. show less

Read the story - then on the last pages, read the REAL story - that seems incredulous today.