NPR: “Kids Book ‘Fatima’s Great Outdoors’ Promotes Diversity”

From National Public Radio

Fatima Khazi is having a hard time at school — she’s in a new country, in a new city, her classmates make fun of how she speaks, they wrinkle their noses at the way her food smells, and on top of all that, she isn’t doing well in her classes. But Fatima is thrilled to escape for the weekend and go camping with her family.

Ambreen Tariq’s new children’s book, Fatima’s Great Outdoors is a story about an Indian immigrant family’s first time exploring the outdoors, and it’s as much a story about curiosity and adventure as it is about trying to assimilate as an immigrant in this country. Tariq says Fatima’s story is her own story. “Every moment in that book is real. Every snippet, every story.”

Tariq’s family moved from India to Minnesota during harsh winter months when she was just eight years old, and transitioning to a new life in a new country was challenging. She says she had a desire to fit in and be like everybody else. “I think this is a very universal immigrant feeling … And that really is Fatima’s experience.” While Fatima’s family might have sung Mohammad Rafi’s Hindi songs on the car ride to the campground, and eaten samosas along the way, Fatima makes her father promise that they will eat bacon for breakfast, “just like the other American families.” Tariq recalls begging her own parents to get beef bacon from the Halal butcher for their family camping trips growing up. “And yes, it was just a small thing when it comes to bacon … But for Fatima it’s a very big deal. It’s a moment where she feels like she’s doing it. She is actually camping like everybody else and enjoying it.”

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