Maysoon Zayid, the Girl Who Can Can
Seema Yasmin author Noha Habaieb illustrator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Published:12th Mar '26
Should be back in stock very soon
From the prolific Pulitzer Prize–nominated Muslim reporter Dr. Seema Yasmin comes an exciting nonfiction chapter book about one of America’s first female Muslim comedians—Maysoon Zayid—the first in the riveting and inspirational Muslim Mavericks.
This is the story of the girl who could!
Maysoon Zayid was just a girl from New Jersey. She might have sometimes felt like she was in the shadow of her three older sisters, but in her dreams, she was Mimi—an amazing actress, comedian, and dancer! The only problem? People kept telling Maysoon her dreams were impossible!
Achieving her goals certainly wasn’t easy; as a Palestinian Muslim girl born with cerebral palsy, Maysoon faced all sorts of challenges—both physical and societal. But Maysoon didn’t dare give up. Instead, she followed her heart all the way to the screen and stage to become one of America’s first ever women Muslim comedians and an actress on her favorite TV show.
"In this nonfiction chapter book, a series starter, [Seema] Yasmin (Unbecoming) follows a 'Palestinian, Muslim and disabled entertainer,' American actor and comedian Maysoon Zayid, as she confronts obstacles on her way to stardom...Effervescent prose presents Zayid as a lively girl with ambitious goals and talent to match while matter-of-factly portraying her day-to-day experience of living with CP. A buoyant prologue sets up the series as a vehicle through which to highlight prominent Muslim figures pursuing their ‘wildest dreams.’” -- Publishers Weekly
"This book launches the Muslim Mavericks biography series with an inspiring and empowering portrait of Maysoon “Mimi” Zayid, one of the first Muslim American woman comedians...Celebrating disability, culture, and determination, this biography is an excellent choice for early readers. It reminds children that their dreams matter—and that persistence can turn “impossible” into reality." -- Booklist
"In this nonfiction chapter book, a series starter, [Seema] Yasmin (Unbecoming) follows a 'Palestinian, Muslim and disabled entertainer,' American actor and comedian Maysoon Zayid, as she confronts obstacles on her way to stardom...Effervescent prose presents Zayid as a lively girl with ambitious goals and talent to match while matter-of-factly portraying her day-to-day experience of living with CP. A buoyant prologue sets up the series as a vehicle through which to highlight prominent Muslim figures pursuing their ‘wildest dreams.’” -- Publishers Weekly
"In this nonfiction chapter book, a series starter, [Seema] Yasmin (Unbecoming) follows a 'Palestinian, Muslim and disabled entertainer,' American actor and comedian Maysoon Zayid, as she confronts obstacles on her way to stardom...Effervescent prose presents Zayid as a lively girl with ambitious goals and talent to match while matter-of-factly portraying her day-to-day experience of living with CP. A buoyant prologue sets up the series as a vehicle through which to highlight prominent Muslim figures pursuing their ‘wildest dreams.’” -- Publishers Weekly
ISBN: 9781665953412
Dimensions: 194mm x 130mm x 8mm
Weight: 18g
80 pages