A new children’s book about a girl in a hijab who wants to start a football team will be launched at Craigieburn library this week.
Hijabi Girl was written by renowned Australian author Hazel Edwards and children’s librarian Ozge Alkan, and illustrated by Serena Geddes.
It tells the story of a feisty young girl who wears a hijab and has a passion for AFL.
The story attempts to tackle the labels that are sometimes put on people and teaches children the importance of respecting others, regardless of their cultural background.
The idea for the book came from Ms Alkan, who used to organise book character parades for students at an Islamic college.
She said older girls at the college wore a hijab as part of their uniform, and this meant that the characters chosen by the students often needed to be transformed into characters wearing hijabs.
So, when Ms Alkan met Ms Edwards, she asked her to write a book about a girl who wears a hijab.
After some discussion, the pair decided to write the book together.
Ms Edwards’ previous books include the 1980 classic There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake.
Hijabi Girl will be launched on April 20 at 1pm. The launch is a free event but bookings are essential. Click here to book.
