Yasmin's Hammer

Review
By School Library Journal

A bleak situation becomes a powerful tale of hope through Yasmin’s passion and determination. Malaspina tells the tale in graceful, straightforward language, describing the overwhelming sounds of the city with the precision of a child’s eye. Chayka’s glowing oil paintings capture the bright colors of Dhaka and the cruelty of the brickyard where Yasmin and her sister work in the blinding sun as the boss lounges under an umbrella. Neither text nor illustrations gloss over the hardships the girls experience, but also do not dwell on them; instead, the focus remains firmly on Yasmin’s dreams and her resolve to achieve them.