Review: Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers

I’m sharing another one of my Most Anticipated Titles of 2022 today, and I’m happy to report that it lived up to all my expectations. Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Lina AlHathloul, Uma Mishra-Newbery, and Rebecca Green is a stunning picture book inspired by Loujain AlHathloul, one of the leaders in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement.

The real Loujain AlHathloul has been arrested four times for her activism, beginning in 2013 when she shared a video that her father filmed as she was driving (an illegal act for women in Saudi Arabia at the time). This fictionalized version of Loujain’s story follows a young Loujain as she yearns to fly like her Baba. Baba tells Loujain of a meadow filled with sunflowers, and it’s all Loujain can dream of. Though her peers don’t believe Loujain can fly, she knows she can learn and inspire other girls like her to learn in the process. This beautiful story is sure to inspire young readers to reach for the stars…or sunflowers.

The illustrations by Rebecca Green are absolutely incredible. Fans of How To Make Friends With a Ghost will find her familiar illustration style paired with bold color work this time around. I loved the warmth of the colors throughout, and especially the sunflower field.

Complete with backmatter that gives further information about Loujain AlHathloul and her work in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement, Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers is a wonderful selection for Women’s History Month lesson plans.

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers is available wherever books are sold, including Bookshop and Amazon. (Please note: Some links provided are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to receive a small commission for recommendations at no cost to you. This commission is used to maintain this site and to continue bringing content to you. I always appreciate your support!)

Thank you so much to mineditionsus and Astra Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this empowering book. I am so thrilled to be able to share it with everyone today!

About The Authors:

Uma Mishra-Newbery and Lina AlHathloul are human rights activists. Lina is the sister of Loujain AlHathloul, the women’s rights activist formerly imprisoned by the Saudi government. Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers is their debut book. Learn more at loujaindreamsofsunflowers.com.

About The Illustrator:

Rebecca Green is the New York Times best-selling illustrator of Becoming a Good Creature, written by Sy Montgomery, and several other picture books, and the author/illustrator of How to Make Friends With a Ghost. Visit Rebecca at rebeccagreenillustration.com.

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