Author Review; Rukhsana Khan
Rukhsana Khan, award winning author of Big Red Lollipop and other picture books shares inspiring stories about her immigrant experience, and travels around the world through stories of Pakistani culture.
Lighthearted yet deeply touching, Khan’s work is laced with humor and life lessons for children as the reader savors the authenticity of Pakistani characters and settings. Her stories themes like generational trauma, bullying and model the development of healthy relationships with friends and families in immigrant and refugee communities. As a child in Dundas, Canada, Khan was ruthlessly bullied by her classmates and children from her neighborhood, and it is these experiences that inform these poignant themes in her books.
She doesn’t just stop there. Khan’s memorable storylines evoke universal feelings of childhood, of children in seemingly hopeless dramas, but highlights them in a fresh context of Pakistani women and children with bright and positive outlooks - a rarity for North American literature. She presents scenarios unique to the South Asian diaspora, showcasing great insight into the traditional Pakistani life. Her strong characters and realistic situations rooted deeply in Pakistani culture are relatable for immigrants.
With a serious dearth of children’s books with Pakistani characters, as well as picture books written by Pakistani authors available in North America - this representation is a warm welcome for those seeking representation for their kids!
What’s even better, her use of dynamic visuals encapsulating movement, ensure that these picture books are bound to be engaging for young children - particularly toddlers through second graders.
Khan’s books can be used by educators and families of the diaspora to foster open discussion, socio-emotional growth through difficult conversations, analysis and interpretation, visual analysis and even research. As with most Pakistani children’s literature, her books include some Urdu words, helping maintain bilingualism standards across South Asian communities. She also includes notes and explanations of cultural elements such as festivals, history, and cultural mindset at the back of her books, to allow readers a fully insightful context and better understanding of not only what it means to be Pakistani, but a Pakistani immigrant too.
Khan still resides in Canada, and maintains an active blog on her website ( I highly recommend reading her latest updates!) She connects with people virtually through book readings and more, she is still an active writer and loves spending time with her parents, children and grandchildren. Her books have won numerous well-deserved awards including “100 Greatest Children’s Books in the Last 100 Years” by the NY Public Library.
So if you’re an avid explorer of contextualised children’s literature, I implore you to go to the library, visit her bookstore on Amazon directly, or simply pay a visit to her website. Lucky for us, Khan also regularly engages in visual storytelling on her YouTube channel and her charisma is enchanting. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I may just be biased because she is definitely my favourite international Pakistani picture book author!
Childrens books by Rukhsana Khan
For those of you that are interested, I’ve compiled a list and a short (albeit unjust!) blurb of some of her works below, to help you choose where you want to begin!
Stay tuned for more detailed book reviews for many of these, as I’ve had difficulty finding any myself!
Big Red Lollipop
An elder daughter in a Pakistani immigrant household experiences the dilemma of upholding family values in her school versus paving the path to freedom for her younger siblings. A sibling rivalry that challenges tradition. Subtle, humorous, and a substantial conversation piece. Ages 4+ but I would read this to interested toddlers too.2. King for a Day
A hopeful and strong young boy fights against his bully by competing in Basant, a spring-time kite flying festival in Lahore, Pakistan. Malik uses a wheelchair and sits on the rooftops of his neighborhood looking out for his friends and family, while preparing kites. Beautiful fabric patchwork in the illustrations highlight the vibrant skies of Lahore during Basant. Ages 2+3. Ruler of the Courtyard
A surprising turn of events leads to a beautiful story about empowerment and courage. Saba is petrified of the chickens in her yard but one scary incident on her trip to the bathhouse across the yard, forces her to face her fears. Ages 3+
4. Silly Chicken
A funny and heart-warming story about jealousy, family and love. Saba seems to despise her mom’s pet chicken. The chicken follows them around all day, everywhere they go. One day the chicken unexpectedly goes missing and Saba and her mother search for hours. What they find leads to an unpredictable twist. Ages 5+ but I would read it to interested toddlers too.
5. The Roses in my Carpets
A young boy in a refugee camp escapes a war-ridden town with his mom and sister to live in a mud hut where he must walk far to fetch fresh water in buckets. The illustrations depict a state of mourning, except for his carpet weaving classes. He fantasizes about safe green pastures and freedom while weaving the colors of his heart in his carpets.
To get a closer look, you can also visit any of these websites; picturebooksummit and publishersweekly,
Do you relate to any of Khan’s experiences as a Pakistani immigrant? Share your stories on Instagram tag @fatmacbooks
