Author Study – Rukhsana Khan

Rukhsana Khan comes from a family of storytellers. And she carries on that tradition today. As a Pakistani-Canadian, she creates stories centered on her cultural identity and experiences as a practicing Muslim.

Her stories allow Muslim children to see positive images of themselves in books. Khan introduces her young audience to people, places, and events that may be unfamiliar to them so they can learn about others and explore a different part of the world.

This post focuses on three things writers can learn from Khan’s work:

• Cultural Representation & Universality
• Character Traits
• Emotional Endings

Cultural Representation and Universality

The setting in Silly Chicken, illustrated by Yunmee Kyong, is in rural Pakistan but the theme of the story is jealousy. And that is a universal emotion in any culture. The cover art is a perfect window into the story about Rani, a young girl who has issues with a chicken! Kyong won the 2006 Ezra Jack Keats Award for her illustrations. Written from Rani’s point of view, Khan’s spare text humorously details the depth of the girl’s jealousy of the attention her mother, Ami, gives to the chicken.

“She acts more like an old woman than a chicken. She follows Ami around the yard wherever she goes. Even into the house!

Chickens belong in the yard.”

Khan’s twist at the end reveals Rani develops an attachment of her own and her mother is the one who may be jealous.

The setting in Ruler of the Courtyard, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, is also in rural Pakistan where a girl named Saba has to pass the chickens she fears in the courtyard to get to the bathhouse. Once inside the bathhouse, she sees an animal that is even more frightening! Khan spins a suspenseful tale and captures Saba’s fear and her courage when she takes action. The circular structure returns readers to the courtyard at the end of the story where Saba has to pass the chickens again, but this time she’s overcome her fear and becomes the new ruler.

Character Traits

When characters in books exemplify positive traits, they have the potential to influence social and emotional growth in young children. And most importantly, when that character is from a child’s own culture, religion or region of the world, they see reflections of themselves.  And classmates, friends, and peers see that same reflection.

While visiting Pakistan, Khan learned about the annual kite festival that takes place during Basant, a celebration welcoming spring. And she had the idea to write King for a Day, illustrated by Christiane Kromer, a book about Malik, a boy who wanted to win the kite battle in his village so he could be king for the day. Khan decided her character would not walk, but through his problem-solving, leadership, tenacity, teamwork, empathy, grit, and perseverance, he could fly. As the story unfolds children see how Malik deals with a bully and how his actions demonstrate the character traits he exemplifies.

Emotional Endings

When Rubina, the oldest of three girls in Big Red Lollipop, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is invited to her first birthday party, her younger sister begs to go too. Ami, their mother, is from Pakistan and doesn’t understand this social custom celebrated in North America so she demands that Rubina take Sana with her. Not only does Sana act out at the party but at home she eats the treats from Rubina’s goodie bag! Although culture sets the story in action, the sibling rivalry that follows is a universal truth in all cultures.

Khan shows Rubina’s excitement, the culture clash, and conflict all in this one scene below.

“Ami! I’ve been invited to a birthday party! There’s going to be games and toys, cake and ice cream! Can I go?”

Sana screams, “I wanna go too!”

“Ami says, ‘What’s a birthday party?’

“It’s when they celebrate the day they were born.”

“Why do they do that?”

Rubina’s disappointment, pain, and loneliness in her darkest moment is clear when Rubina isn’t invited to any more parties ‘for a really long time’.  The art shows that passage in time by aging the youngest sibling.

“The worst thing is that all the girls at school know if they invite me to their birthday parties, I have to bring Sana.

I don’t get any invitation for a really long time.”

The end of the story is where Khan’s storytelling tugs at the heart. Now Sana comes home with an invitation and the youngest sister begs to go with her. But Rubina shows compassion and speaks up on Sana’s behalf, no doubt remembering her own experience. After the party, Khan has Sana making her amends for the way she acted giving her young audience a fitting, satisfying, and emotional resolution.

The Roses in My Carpets, illustrated by Ronald Himler, is based on a true story of Khan’s Afghan foster child. In every scene are examples of powerful and emotional storytelling. Khan uses vivid details throughout this story set during the day in the life of a boy in a refugee camp in Pakistan.

She shows the struggles the boy faces living in a refugee camp in a mud hut.

“The plastic handle cuts into my hand. I must stop and rest several times.”

“At home I wash my face – a useless habit.”

Here she shows the love he has for family when sharing food with his younger sister.

“I will pull my sash a little tighter.”

The boy shares his hopes and dreams when we learn why he wants to become a master craftsman.

“I will have a skill no one can take away. As long as I am strong and able, my family will never go hungry.”

Khan handles the difficult topic of war with sensitivity and humanity.

As an author and storyteller, Khan entertains and educates her young audience. Her books teach us about Pakistani culture, how to develop a character-driven story, and how to write from the heart.

Learn More from Rukhsana Khan

Now’s your chance to learn from Rukhsana Khan directly!

At Picture Book Summit 2019, Rukhsana will be presenting “Cultural Connections: From the Specific to the Universal.” How do you tell a story about a specific cultural paradigm and make it universally accessible? Whether you’re writing about a particular custom, tradition, place, food, or experience, Rukhsana will share how to translate your unique viewpoint into one that resonates for all readers.

Don’t miss the chance to hear from Rukhsana live and ask questions, all from the comfort of home! Check out Rukhsana’s presentation as well as our other workshops coming to you online October 5th on our Program Page.

Keila V. Dawson is a regular contributor to the Reading for Research Month (ReFoReMo) blog and reviews books for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. She is the author of THE KING CAKE BABY, (Pelican Publishing 2015) and co-editor of the forthcoming nonfiction poetry anthology NO VOICE TOO SMALL: Fourteen Young Americans Making Change (Charlesbridge, 2020).