That's Not My Name!

May 1, 2022
The first day of school is always hard--especially when your classmates can't say your name. Mirha is excited about her first day, raring to learn and play. But to her disappointment, she feels that she doesn't quite fit in because her classmates and some of her teachers can't pronounce her name correctly. When Mirha confesses to Mama that it might just be easier to change her name, her mother tells her why her name is special. Armed with this knowledge, Mirha decides to take action the very next day. Featuring wide-eyed, adorable youngsters, Syed's illustrations are endearing, and the text is thought-provoking yet fun. As Mirha struggles to explore her many feelings, there's plenty of space for empathy and giggles. In the same vein as Juana Martinez-Neal's Alma and How She Got Her Name, this book celebrates a child's unique identity while conveying the message that getting other people's names right is important. Syed recognizes that it can be daunting but rewarding to speak up if one's name is mispronounced--and that it becomes easier over time. Mirha and her family are brown-skinned and cued as South Asian; her classmates are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Affirming and empowering; a story that will resonate with many children and a lot of adults, too. (Picture book. 3-5)

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July 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 1 Eager to begin school, Mirha is baffled then saddened when classmates and school staff mispronounce her name on the first day. "Mama and Baba and Nani can say it--why can't anyone else?" Too shy to correct a coach and hesitant to instruct peers on pronunciation, Mirha wonders if "changing her name to something easier" might help her make friends. Mama convinces Mirha otherwise by lovingly explaining the meaning and importance of Mirha's name. "Your name is something to be proud of, and no one can take that away from you." Mirha returns to school the next day empowered to instruct and correct others, and friendships quickly ensue. With a wide-eyed array of characters in her signature cheerful, animation-style illustrations, Syed delivers a proud if tidy lesson in self-esteem that should suit young students and early elementary classrooms. Pair with Juana Martinez-Neal's Alma and How She Got Her Name (2018) and Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow's Your Name Is a Song (2020) for conversations around names and finding the confidence to correct with grace.

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August 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-In a vividly illustrated classroom that includes a child in a wheelchair, students who have many different colors of skin, a variety of dress, and many different hairstyles, saying "Mir" as in "miracle" and "Ha" as in "haha" should not be so hard. But on the first day of school, which Mirha has anticipated for so long, no one, not even the teacher, can say her name right. She hears students call her by every other name there is, from Mina to Nerha. Hayden, with red hair and green eyes, asks Mirha to change her name to Maya, to make it easier for everyone, and she considers it. The heartbreak is palpable, because most children have witnessed this situation, even if they were not victims of it. Mirha cannot understand why the name that is music to everyone in her Arab family is so difficult for others. Her solution proves perfect. When people get it wrong, she simply says, "That's not my name," and helps the person pronounce it. She is just as courteous about everyone else's names. Syed's book uses clarity in the dialogue, the emotions, and in the intent, featuring only well-meaning teachers and children who want to get it right. Her illustrated school scenes are so familiar while Mirha's posture translates her every feeling, with or without the text. VERDICT This is a necessary guide for helping everyone navigate these waters, and educators may wish to throw in some conversation about pronouns as well. A great first-day story for breaking the ice.-Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 10, 2022
A child’s first day of school is marred by classmates and teachers mispronouncing her name in Syed’s solo debut. Mirha, who cues as of South Asian heritage, has been “waiting for months” to start school, but after she clearly introduces herself to the class, she’s perplexed by her classmates’ incorrect variations on her name, which appear in word bubbles across a spread. On the playground, white-presenting Hayden asks “if he could call her Maya. He said that would be easier for everyone to say.” Though Mirha thinks about changing her name, her mother lovingly persuades her otherwise, offering its meaning and saying, “If people can remember names like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo, they can remember Mirha!” Saturated illustrations spotlight a candy-colored classroom environment, and classmates of varied abilities and skin tones, while accessible text offers a useful script that even invites readers to introduce themselves. Ages 3–5.