Sakina and the Uninvited Guests

K-Gr 4–Ezra Jack Keats Illustration Honoree Marwan (Where the Butterflies Fill the Sky) creates a powerful story about how the art left behind in history acts as a bridge to humanity’s present, through Sakina’s observant eyes. In the midst of a sandstorm, when Sakina cannot play at the beach, she is dragged to the local museum by her mother. While her mother gasps with delight over the beauty of its objects that evoke familiarity, Sakina is bored and relieved when they finally leave. However, three artifacts have climbed into her backpack: a clumsy winged-lion, a shy jaguar, and a little crocodile who scatters papyrus papers everywhere. While everyone rests, Sakina must contend with her wayward guests as they create chaos; eventually, she understands that the “thousands of years” they hold lie within her as well. Marwan’s signature watercolor-and-ink illustrations are rich and vibrant, rushing to the edges with full-bleed pages that render captivating personalities in the guests to rival Sakina’s own pert and thoughtful persona. Alternating between tangerine hues to ocean blues, the color ebbs with emotion. Set in an unnamed desert community, Marwan’s rhythmic telling sparks the imagination as Sakini peels effendi near “waves like clementine peels” amongst the arfaj flowers and ziziphus trees; it is a place children will want to walk and hope that they, too, will find art that speaks to them of their history. Epilogue and glossary included.