Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party (Marya Khan #1) - Hardcover

Faruqi, Saadia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1419761161 ISBN 13: 9781419761164

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 2022

Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Ivy & Bean and Dory Fantasmagory, Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party is the start of a charming chapter book series from acclaimed author Saadia Faruqi about a Pakistani American third-grader whose plans may backfire but whose persistence and heart are inspiring.

Marya’s eighth birthday is coming up in a week, and all she wants is an over-the-top birthday party just like the ones Alexa, her rich neighbor, always throws. When Alexa parades into school with fancy invitations, Marya can’t help herself—she claims that she’s having the most epic henna party ever. Now she has to convince her family to make it happen.

Enter Operation Help the Khans! Marya’s siblings clearly need help with their projects. Maybe she could cook dinner for her parents, or clean her grandmother’s room? Except everything Marya does seems to end in disaster. Will Marya and her family be able pull it together and throw the best party ever?!

Featuring black-and-white illustrations by Ani Bushry and a selection of henna designs to trace and color.

About this title

About the Author

Saadia Faruqi was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States when she was 22 years old. She writes the Yasmin series and popular middle-grade novels such as Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero. Besides writing books for kids, she also loves reading, binge-watching her favorite shows, and taking naps. She lives in Houston with her family. Ani Bushry graduated from the University of West England with a background in graphic design and illustration. She grew up listening to stories her mom used to tell her and always wanted to tell her own stories. She lives in the Maldives with her husband and cat, Lilo, whom she loves to spoil.

Reviews

Gr 1–3—Seven-year-old Pakistani American Marya Khan is on the precipice of turning eight, and she has big ambitions for this year's birthday celebration. Unfortunately, Baba and Mama are not on the same page with Marya's plans—instead they want to do their traditional low-key, pizza-and-cake family celebration. To make matters worse, Marya's neighbor Alexa's birthday is two days before hers, and that celebration will be one for the books. While Marya only gets to invite her best friend Hanna to her party, Alexa is inviting the whole class. As Alexa is distributing her party invites, Marya blurts out that she, too, is having a birthday party with fairy lights, yummy food, and henna! Of course, her parents haven't agreed to any of this, so Marya sets out on an ill-fated crusade to convince her parents that this year must be the year of the incredible henna party. Short chapters are sprinkled with simple, expressive illustrations that will keep readers who are transitioning to more text-heavy chapter books engaged. Culturally specific terms, like daal, shalwar kameez, and paratha, will be welcome by readers of South Asian descent and embraced by others not part of that community. VERDICT This early chapter book will find favor with fans of "Definitely Dominguita" and "JoJo Makoons" and has broad appeal. Readers will look forward to reading more of plucky Marya's adventures.—Sarah Simpson

Edition details

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1419761161
• ISBN 13: 9781419761164
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bushry Ani
• Number of pages: 144