It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you my friend David Cahn’s new book UMAR, with illustrations by Molly Pukes. In my recent interview with Ashley Speed, she underscored the importance of representation in children’s books, and the need to queer normativity in order to make our spaces more inclusive. Books that have a particular focus on diversity are fantastic resources for children, but what inspires me the most is when diversity is normalised like in Cahn’s book. Cahn does this is so beautifully and unapologetically. In UMAR you don’t find Cahn elaborating on Umar’s family being Muslim or any explanation whatsoever to why his nursery teacher is referred to with a nonbinary pronoun. The focus is on Umar and his obsession with locks and keys, and as the story unravels, you find those individuals and communities that are often ‘othered’ in our societies occupy common everyday spaces. Thank you, David and Molly, for this fantastic book!

If you’re interested in purchasing David’s book, please follow this link here