Together We Are Sunshine

PreS-Gr 3–From the author of Sister Friend, a story of siblings. Middle sister Haala is hanging out with big sister Sanaa and little sister Munira. Haala is annoyed because her time with Sanaa keeps getting interrupted by Munira. Sanaa says things about feeling the sun on her face and dancing through the dandelions, and Haala feels like Munira is always getting in the way. The three sisters come upon a pond where the goldfish tell secrets. Munira accidentally stumbles, pulling her sisters down with her, and ends up scaring off the secret-telling goldfish. Haala doesn’t handle it well, but afterward, she realizes she may have made Munira feel bad and starts to consider what she can do to make it better. This fantastic picture book is mostly about how a middle sister can learn to be a better big sister. This is an excellent portrayal of sibling relationships where what’s important is remembering how powerful it is to work with others. The girls’ names have Arabic origins, and their meanings, which are all light-related, can be found at the beginning of the book. Dynamic, vibrant scenes present the three sisters with brown skin and braided hairstyles.