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Abdul's Story Hardcover – Picture Book, March 29, 2022

by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Author), Tiffany Rose (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
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A 2022 New York Public Library Best Book for Kids!

A little boy who loves storytelling but struggles with writing learns that it’s okay to make mistakes in this charming and encouraging picture book from the author of Mommy’s Khimar.

Abdul loves to tell stories. But writing them down is hard. His letters refuse to stay straight and face the right way. And despite all his attempts, his papers often wind up with more eraser smudges than actual words. Abdul decides his stories just aren’t meant to be written down…until a special visitor comes to class and shows Abdul that even the best writers—and superheroes—make mistakes.
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  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    40 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    AD540L
  6. Dimensions
    10 x 0.3 x 10 inches
  7. Publisher
    Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  8. Publication date
    March 29, 2022
  9. ISBN-10
    1534462988
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1534462984
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—Abdul, a kid with skin the color of the orange of a sunset and a hairstyle cut high and tight, is full of stories, and his classmates clamor for them. The residents of his neighborhood star in these stories because Abdul observes everything and misses little. An author visits his class, sending Abdul into a tailspin of worry. Some letters challenge him; he erases a lot; he makes a mess on the page. The teacher, Mr. Muhammad, shows Abdul his own messy notebook, and opens the boy's mind up to rewriting, and reworking, until the story on the page matches Abdul's ideals. That one adult can turn a child away from self-loathing to self-realization is a common theme, but it's transcendent here. There is no epiphany, no abrupt connection but instead loads of hard work and compassion, as well as patience. In the cheerful illustrations, the classroom is full of supporting characters of many backgrounds, but this is definitely Abdul's story. VERDICT A realistic look at what it takes to improve, this book will find a wide audience among other children who have struggled with words.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

Review

“Exploring the topic of learning disabilities can be challenging, especially the social-emotional fallout for children who are struggling, but Thompkins-Bigelow accomplishes the task. Rose’s lively and colorful illustrations are eye-pleasing and showcase diversity. This is an engaging story that not only offers empowerment but also models understanding and acceptance of learning differences.” —The Horn Book Magazine

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (March 29, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1534462988
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534462984
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD540L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.03 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10 x 0.3 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

    Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

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  2. Tiffany Rose

    Tiffany Rose

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    Tiffany Rose is a teacher, world traveler, and the left-handed author/illustrator of M IS FOR MELANIN from Little Bee Books, fall 2019, DEAR READER from Little Bee Books, fall 2022. Tiffany is also the illustrator of ABDUL'S STORY, written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Simon & Schuster, fall 2021; HURRY KATE, YOU'LL BE LATE, written by Janice N Harrington, Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, spring 2022; MARLEY & THE FAMILY BAND, written by Cedella Marley and Tracey Baptiste, Penguin Random House, January 2022, and ELLIE'S CRAYON ADVENTURE, written by Sarah Glenn Marsh, Running Press, tbc. Tiffany currently lives and works in Shanghai, China. She’s a lover of coffee, wanderlust, massive curly afros, and children being their imaginative, quirky, free selves. Rose remembers what it was like growing up not seeing herself reflected in the books she read. Pencil in hand she’s changing that narrative one illustration at a time.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
60 global ratings
Abdul’s Story is Empowering
5 Stars
Abdul’s Story is Empowering
Abdul’s story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow beautifully details the common difficulties many children experience when writing. We don’t know if Abdul has learning difficulties or just normal writing confusion most kids experience. We do know that these difficulties often lead to self-esteem issues and a plethora of problems unless you have a Mr. Muhammad — an educator that isn’t seeking perfection but great effort—something Abdul certainly has. Abdul’s Story will empower children who see themselves in Abdul while teaching compassion to peers. A bonus is the colorful, intricate illustrations by Tiffany Rose that perfectly capture Abdul’s angst and happiness. This book is a treasure.
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Top reviews from the United States

Crystal Byram
5.0 out of 5 stars Relatable!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
My kid is a young teen and we just read this book. He really liked it and relates with Abdul about writing. It's important for kids (people of all ages really) to know that there are other people out there with similar struggles and to see how they work with their struggles. I'm glad they wrote this book about dysgraphia!
One person found this helpful
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Megan L
5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Book for Young Readers and Writers
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
I absolutely love this book and I'm so glad I found it. As a third grade teacher and a mom to a second grader, I appreciate it so much. This book is a sweet and beautiful story with a VERY powerful message for kids: it's not perfect spelling, the best handwriting, or the neatest paper that counts. Your story is important, your ideas are important, and the most essential thing is to share your story with others. Abdul learns this after meeting a real author who shows him his drafts and how messy they are. Abdul realizes it's okay if his writing isn't perfect, it still has value. I highly recommend this book to every teacher and to parents of kids, especially kids who get stuck on spelling and perfection!
2 people found this helpful
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Louisette C. Andrews
5.0 out of 5 stars Applause for Understanding Learning Styles -Bravo
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2022
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Once again, this illustrator delivers! The level of detail, emotions captured from each character, and color spectrum brings the author’s storytelling to life. The reader can identify with characters visually and culturally. The author’s approach to how children learn and developing strategies to support them emotionally, academically, and socially was very refreshing. Highly recommend this book for educators coaches, mentors, and parents.
2 people found this helpful
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Patty Rosebourgh
4.0 out of 5 stars Good message
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2023
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Nice and encouraging
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Heidi Grange
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book all around!
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2022
What a beautiful book! I loved this one both in terms of story and illustrations. The story follows Abdul's struggles with writing. Abdul has loads of stories to tell, all about his neighborhood, and the things he has seen and experienced. What he doesn't have are the skills to put his stories into writing. He tries and tries, but the letters keep getting mixed up, spelling is impossible with those silent letters, and following the lines is so hard. He's tempted to give up when his paper ends up with holes from too much erasing. When Mr. Muhammad visits Abdul's class to teach the students about writing, Abdul decides to try again after seeing similarities between his experiences and Mr. Muhammad's stories. But once again, writing proves to be a difficult undertaking. But maybe, after Mr. Muhammad helps him understand that mistakes and messiness are a part of the writing process, Abdul can find a way to put his stories down on paper.

I fell in love with the character of Abdul right away. He tries so hard, over and over, but just keeps making mistakes. This reminds me so much of myself and how many times I've wanted to give up when things got hard. I have no doubt that many, if not all, children will be able to relate to Abdul's frustration. And the encouragement he receives from Mr. Muhammad made me want to stand up and cheer. And the message that learning things can be a messy process full of mistakes and that's okay, almost made me cry. Not only does this book highlight the importance of not giving up, but it reminds us that all of us have stories to tell in one way or another.

Tiffany Rose's lovely illustrations work perfectly for this book. She highlights so beautifully in her digitally created art the emotions that Abdul wrestles with as he tries to write. I think the picture that I found the most powerful is the one showing Abdul sitting under a table after giving up on his story. There is a large pencil shown erasing Abdul as he sits there looking so sad, symbolizing the shame and frustration he feels. This book is definitely one that I will be sharing over and over because of it's beauty and the powerful message.
3 people found this helpful
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Anitra R. Schulte
5.0 out of 5 stars Story of encouragement for young writers
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2023
"Abdul's Story" is a vibrant, emotional journey through a boy's self-doubt in his storytelling. Abdul is known in his community for capturing the sounds and personalities around him in exciting tales. But when it comes to putting his words on paper, Abdul gets frustrated and self-conscious of his messy penmanship. A classroom visit from Mr. Muhammad, a writer, offers a new challenge: An opportunity to write a story about a new superhero. Can Abdul's writing soar? "Abdul's Story" brings readers into the anguish of writing, as well as the pride and joy that comes from telling your own story, your way.
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Sylvia Chen
5.0 out of 5 stars ABDUL'S STORY is such an incredible and inspiring book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023
I love how ABDUL'S STORY was written: with a storytelling ambiance true to Abdul's character arc, lively and emotion-evoking alliteration and consonance, especially with the letter 's', and the incorporation of a supporting adult character while keeping the main MC's agency. The illustrations complement the text wonderfully through a diverse community of characters, highly relatable emotions for the MC including frustration over mistakes, and spreads brimming with vibrant colors. This book is a fantastic read for kids who find writing frustrating, kids who love to tell stories, and shows the power of strong role models with shared and diverse backgrounds, the need for compassion and awareness of learning differences, and how it's okay for a work in progress to have messy mistakes. A truly wonderful read!
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