A Sky-Blue Bench

#OwnVoices story: the author is a former refugee from Afghanistan who grew up there during the civil war (however, he is not an amputee) There is a demand for books about Afghanistan The protagonist, a young girl with a below-the-knee prosthetic leg, is a charismatic problem-solver and builds her bench with minimal adult involvement The text refers simply to Aria's "accident"; an author's note reveals that she lost her leg due to a landmine and discusses the broader issue of landmines in an age-appropriate way Celebrates the importance of education From the author of The Library Bus, which was reviewed by the New York Times and earned a School Library Journal starred review in November 2020 Portrays urban life in Afghanistan (specifically the city of Herat), something that is lacking in North American picture books The author is providing consultation on matters of clothing, architecture, and details of everyday life that will be shown in the illustrations Classroom guide for educators forthcoming