ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

As the sun rises above the gray mountains, five-year-old Pari is excited to ride on the first library bus operating in Kabul. She will help Mama distribute supplies to the girls in the villages and refugee camps. Soft orange tints suffuse the landscape as village girls, dressed in colorful, brightly patterned chadors, eagerly climb aboard, exchange books, and listen to Mama read them stories and teach them English. At the refugee camp, girls in patched clothing happily greet the bus' arrival. When Mama explains that she had to hide in the basement to learn to read as a child, she makes Pari promise to never stop learning. Illustrations in warm-hued watercolors depict the buildings in the old city nestled in the mountains "like the embroidered scarfs in the Grand Bazaar," which contrasts with the dusty tents of the camp. The girls' individualized faces and emotions will establish a bond with children everywhere as Rahman celebrates the brave and resourceful Afghani women teachers from his childhood who found creative ways to educate girls.

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Young Pari joins her mother on the library bus for the first time. The bus brings books to remote villages and refugee camps "beyond the mountains" of Kabul; Pari's mother also delivers school supplies and teaches English to the girls. Her mother explains that the camps and villages don't have schools -- and that, until recently, Afghan girls weren't allowed to get an education. Rahman, who grew up in wartime Afghanistan, states that "all of the characters [in this fictional story] are inspired by the children that I met during my visits to refugee camps and orphanages in Kabul." The reassuring watercolor and digital illustrations help convey Rahman's assertion that "when you are born in war, you are truly unaware of the alternative, peace. War is your normal."

Kirkus Reviews

It's dark in Kabul when young Pari and her mother start up the library bus to visit a small village.It's Pari's first day as Mama's library helper, and she is excited to be on the only "library bus in all of Kabul." Girls await the bus, eager to return the books they borrowed from the previous week and to browse for new ones. Then Pari's mom gathers the girls in a circle to practice English. Afterward, the bus heads along to a refugee camp, and on the way Pari learns that her grandpa taught Mama how to read at a time when girls were not allowed to go to school. She is starting school next year, and her mom encourages her to "study hard [and] never stop learning. Then you will be free." At the camp, Pari helps pass out notebooks and pencils, and Mama checks out books to the girls. Later, at home, Mama assures Pari that she will help the girls in the village the same way Grandpa helped her. Grimard's illustrations pair well with Rahman's words, from the sun rising over the mountains in the morning against an atmospheric sky to the dusty camp area with tents labeled UNHCR. Pari, her mom, and many girls cover their hair. In the backmatter, the author, an Afghan refugee himself now living in Canada, offers a personal message, which is accompanied by a brief note about refugee camps.An inspiring story that conveys the power of education-paying it forward and meeting avid readers where they are. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

PreS-Gr 1 Villages and refugee camps in Kabul are visited by the area's only library bus in this picture book that celebrates the continued fight of Afghani women for education. Pari joins her mother on her rounds in a school bus that doesn't have bus seats, but tables and shelves, to bring books and school supplies to the girls she teaches English. Mama welcomes the excited girls and leads them through the ABCs and counting to 10. The girls browse the shelves looking for new books to read as Pari hands out new pencils. Grimard uses her soft watercolor palette to contrast the tans, beiges, and browns of the desert with brightly colored chadors surrounding the girls' smiling faces and long, dark hair. Mama tells Pari how her grandfather, who is illustrated with head covering, a great white beard, and friendly face, taught her to read hidden in their basement. Mama wants Pari to "[S]tudy hard. Never stop learning. Then you will be free." When Mama asks Pari "how does learning make you feel," the young girl throws her hands up, smiles and yells "FREE!" An author's note follows, explaining refugee camps, growing up under the Taliban, and the author's personal admiration of female teachers in their pursuit of an education. VERDICT The conversational text is great for one-on-one sharing, but this will also come in handy at story times, for a celebration of reading, and for a glimpse of Afghani culture.Kristine M. Casper, Huntington P.L., NY