Reviews

Yasmin the Detective by Saadia Faruqi

coffeedragon's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This was such a cute little short story! It's my first time reading a Yasmin book, but I really loved the art and Yasmin is such a proactive kid, deciding to be a detective and find out what happened to her Nani's missing items, using all of the things she sees on TV and learns at school to figure out who the culprit is. I also loved the use of Urdu in the story and even the glossary and info at the back. It's a book that tells a story, informs young readers, and helps them review what they've read. Would love to read more of these books!

illstoptheworldandreadwithyou's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

My son and I enjoyed reading this book together. We’ve read other Yasmin stories before, and they never disappoint. As a parent, I like seeing Yasmin’s close-knit family, her inquisitiveness, and her willingness to help out Nani when the items start to disappear. Yasmin models great detective skills, searching for details, using her observation skills, and synthesizing what she’s seen with the facts about birds that she learns at school. And I like that my children are exposed to a different culture–in this case Pakistani American–through this book.

The short chapters supplemented with illustrations give young readers a sense of accomplishment as they finish each one.

I especially appreciate that the learning does not stop when the story ends. The book includes a Think About It, Talk About It section with questions to make little ones think about, analyze, and extrapolate from the story; a glossary of Urdu words; Pakistan Fun Facts; and instructions for making their own set of binoculars.

Yasmin the Detective would be a great addition to any home or classroom library for young readers.

Thank you to Capstone, Picture Window Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

libraryrobin's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Yasmin deduces where missing items have gone.

angiew23's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

This book is part of a larger series all featuring the main character, Yasmin. This book features Yasmin becoming a detective, while some of the other books show Yasmin as a doctor, scientist or singer. Yasmin is a young girl, I would guess around age 6 who is proud of her Pakistani culture. She is a great role model for young children and books like this one are the perfect opportunity for more children to see themselves in the books they are reading. The author Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American which is another great positive.

This book is an early chapter book with 3 chapters, each about 5 pages long and includes full and part page pictures that are detailed and in full colour. The font is accessible and there are 20-60 words per page, depending on whether or not there is a picture on the page. Many of the words are decodable or sight words at the grade 1-3 level. At the end of the book there are reading comprehension/discussion questions which are perfect for parents unsure how to support early readers. There is a glossary of Urdu terms, as well as information about Pakistan and an activity or recipe (in this book it is how to make toilet roll binoculars. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in Grade 1-4 which the target audience likely grade 2s. Children at this age are excited about early chapter books, but still need support such as pictures and decodable text in order to be successful in reading. In my opinion, this book definitely fits in that category! Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book!

hajar_yehia's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Another cute children picture book. It was fast, on to point and not boring. I love how it was both entertaining as a plot and informative of facts and the culture it speaks for.
The illustrations were colourful and fun. Really great work.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC.

srivalli's review

Go to review page

4.0

4 Stars

Yasmin is a cute little girl who loves birds and the show Detective Hoo. When her Naani's (grandmother) items go missing, Yasmin decides to become a detective and solve the case.

This little chapter book is a part of the series and can be read as a standalone. Yasmin comes from a Pakistani-American family, like the author. She is cute, clever, and super sweet (just look at her on the cover!). The story is written in simple words for kids to read on their own (with help from elders, if necessary).

This book is perfect for inquisitive little ones. It has questions and activities at the end to help elders make things more fun for the kids. Oh, there’s a glossary with meanings for Urdu words and some information about Pakistan. The illustrations are lovely. The color scheme and expression come out really well.

To sum up, Yasmin the Detective is an entertaining and informative read for little kiddos.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, Capstone, and Picture Window Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.

#YasmintheDetective #NetGalley

sarasreadingnook's review

Go to review page

4.0

This is a very beautifully illustrated chapter book written by Pakistani American author  Saadia Faruqi and illustrated by Egyptian-born illustrator Hatem Aly. In this book, Yasmin's grandmother loses several objects which include a button, a thimble, and a pair of glasses and Yasmin is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery at play!

I really enjoyed the illustrations and thought they were drawn beautifully! The colours and the image placements were done very well throughout the book. Each character has distinct features  and focused on elements that enhanced the story well. For example, the image that showed Yasmin watching her favourite detective Dr. Hoo while being completely engrossed in the story as  Nani comes in to discuss her dilemma. It introduced characters and their interests well. 

There are some discussion prompts that are helpful for learners and educators and there is a Urdu glossary at the end with a pronunciation key for  various terms in Urdu. Fun facts were provided about Pakistan at the end of the book, and a binocular DIY guide is added in for extra fun!

Regarding the story, I really enjoyed Yasmin and her family and I thought it provided a fun and easy to follow mystery to be solved for young readers. I did have one qualm re: the story when it came to the retrieval of items, though it's very minor, I simply think that both parties could have been happier at the end. Nonetheless, it was very cute! And a good read for readers K-2. 

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

mistressviolet's review

Go to review page

informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

A fun detective story for children that promotes cultural awareness. It's also interesting in that it teaches readers a bit about crows – some interesting facts that I think kids will totally dig. 


This book also contains an Urdu glossary, some fun facts about Pakistan, and an arts and crafts project. Informational and interactive. 

our_bookish_reads's review

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The art in Yasmin is adorable and my kids absolutely love the stories! They're all cute and pull the kids in! The chapters and sentences are short and very easy for the kids to keep interesting in and entertained
More...