Charis welcomes author Reem Faruqi in conversation with illustrator Ani Bushry for a storytime reading of Do You Even Know Me? an empowering picture book about a girl who stands up for her Muslim culture and identity and counters bullying with love, peace, and kindness.

My name is Salma, which means peace. Islam also means peace. I wish more people knew that.

Salma is Muslim, an identity she takes pride in. But not everyone understands Salma’s religion the way she does, including news reporters, and even a boy in her class, who bullies Salma for belonging to the culture and faith she loves. However, when things go too far, Salma says, “Enough is enough!” and finds the courage to defend herself while also spreading a message of peace.

Reem Faruqi is the award-winning children’s book author of “Lailah’s Lunchbox,” a book based on her own experiences as a young Muslim girl immigrating to the United States. She’s also the author of “Amira’s Picture Day,” “I Can Help,” “Milloo’s Mind,” “Anisa’s International Day,” and three middle grade novels in verse, “Unsettled,” “Golden Girl,” and “Call Me Adnan,” many of which received starred reviews. After surviving Atlanta traffic and the school drop off, Reem spends her days trying to write, but instead gets distracted easily by her camera and buttery sunlight. Reem Faruqi lives in Atlanta with her husband and daughters. You can find her at www.ReemFaruqi.com or on Instagram or Twitter.

Ani Bushry is an author/illustrator from the Maldives. She grew up listening to stories her Mom used to tell her from memory - sometimes made up and some that were local fables from her childhood and since, she has always had a soft spot for drawing and writing stories for children.

She graduated from the University of West of England, and her background is in both graphic design and illustration. She is the illustrator of children’s books  Bhangra Baby by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal and the Marya Khan series by Saadia Faruqi. She lives in the Maldives with her husband and their cats.

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Do You Even Know Me?: Storytime and Conversation with Reem Faruqi and Ani Bushry