Download high-resolution image Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

Fatima's Great Outdoors

Illustrated by Stevie Lewis
Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
An immigrant family embarks on their first camping trip in the Midwest in this lively picture book by Ambreen Tariq, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping

Fatima Khazi is excited for the weekend. Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping trip! The school week might not have gone as planned, but outdoors, Fatima can achieve anything. She sets up a tent with her father, builds a fire with her mother, and survives an eight-legged mutant spider (a daddy longlegs with an impressive shadow) with her sister. At the end of an adventurous day, the family snuggles inside one big tent, serenaded by the sounds of the forest. The thought of leaving the magic of the outdoors tugs at Fatima's heart, but her sister reminds her that they can keep the memory alive through stories--and they can always daydream about what their next camping trip will look like.

Ambreen Tariq's picture book debut, with cheerful illustrations by Stevie Lewis, is a rollicking family adventure, a love letter to the outdoors, and a reminder that public land belongs to all of us.
Ambreen Tariq is the founder of @BrownPeopleCamping, a social media platform dedicated to promoting greater diversity in our public lands through storytelling and the power of visual representation. She's passionate about youth education and holds board member positions at City Kids Wilderness Project and Green Muslims. She is currently a brand ambassador for many well-known outdoors companies. Her writing has been published in Outside magazine, and Ambreen has been profiled by the New York Times, SELF magazine, CNN Health, Elite Daily, and more. A non-practicing attorney, Ambreen works for the federal government in Washington, DC. This is her first book for children.

Stevie Lewis lives on the road in a van that she mostly built out herself. Striving to live simply and tread lightly on the earth, she gathers inspiration from a variety of places, and she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. After working for several years at DreamWorks Animation, she now illustrates children's books and creates art based on her travels. Follow her adventures @chocosweete.
Praise for FATIMA'S GREAT OUTDOORS by Ambreen Tariq and Stevie Lewis:

2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books List
WASHINGTON DC Capitol Choices
Washington DC Three Star Book Award

"Author Tariq founded @BrownPeopleCamping to help diversify outdoor spaces, and through Lewis' rich, detailed illustrations, this book celebrates Indian culture while depicting the beauty and fun of being in the wilderness."
Booklist

"An authentic, affectionate portrait of how outdoor spaces can offer a saving grace and a sense of belonging."
Publishers Weekly

"This is a gentle and joyful story about a young girl having to adapt to a whole new life, and learning that everyone has their strengths, even herself."
School Library Connection

"Most collections will benefit from this multilayered work of joy and validation."
—Ariana Sani Hussain, The Blake School, Wayzata, MN, for School Library Journal

About

An immigrant family embarks on their first camping trip in the Midwest in this lively picture book by Ambreen Tariq, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping

Fatima Khazi is excited for the weekend. Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping trip! The school week might not have gone as planned, but outdoors, Fatima can achieve anything. She sets up a tent with her father, builds a fire with her mother, and survives an eight-legged mutant spider (a daddy longlegs with an impressive shadow) with her sister. At the end of an adventurous day, the family snuggles inside one big tent, serenaded by the sounds of the forest. The thought of leaving the magic of the outdoors tugs at Fatima's heart, but her sister reminds her that they can keep the memory alive through stories--and they can always daydream about what their next camping trip will look like.

Ambreen Tariq's picture book debut, with cheerful illustrations by Stevie Lewis, is a rollicking family adventure, a love letter to the outdoors, and a reminder that public land belongs to all of us.

Author

Ambreen Tariq is the founder of @BrownPeopleCamping, a social media platform dedicated to promoting greater diversity in our public lands through storytelling and the power of visual representation. She's passionate about youth education and holds board member positions at City Kids Wilderness Project and Green Muslims. She is currently a brand ambassador for many well-known outdoors companies. Her writing has been published in Outside magazine, and Ambreen has been profiled by the New York Times, SELF magazine, CNN Health, Elite Daily, and more. A non-practicing attorney, Ambreen works for the federal government in Washington, DC. This is her first book for children.

Stevie Lewis lives on the road in a van that she mostly built out herself. Striving to live simply and tread lightly on the earth, she gathers inspiration from a variety of places, and she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. After working for several years at DreamWorks Animation, she now illustrates children's books and creates art based on her travels. Follow her adventures @chocosweete.

Praise

Praise for FATIMA'S GREAT OUTDOORS by Ambreen Tariq and Stevie Lewis:

2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books List
WASHINGTON DC Capitol Choices
Washington DC Three Star Book Award

"Author Tariq founded @BrownPeopleCamping to help diversify outdoor spaces, and through Lewis' rich, detailed illustrations, this book celebrates Indian culture while depicting the beauty and fun of being in the wilderness."
Booklist

"An authentic, affectionate portrait of how outdoor spaces can offer a saving grace and a sense of belonging."
Publishers Weekly

"This is a gentle and joyful story about a young girl having to adapt to a whole new life, and learning that everyone has their strengths, even herself."
School Library Connection

"Most collections will benefit from this multilayered work of joy and validation."
—Ariana Sani Hussain, The Blake School, Wayzata, MN, for School Library Journal

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (GarcĂ­a, 2009; GarcĂ­a, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Read more

Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

This month we proudly celebrate Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the important role of Asian and Asian American voices in our culture and in our classrooms all year long. We’re spotlighting creators and centering stories that allow us to embrace diversity within the community and leads us to telling more balanced

Read more

Brightly Storytime LIVE!

Young readers, students, parents, and educators are invited to share the magic of stories with Brightly Storytime LIVE! These free and interactive events are perfect for kids at home or in the classroom. Each storytime features host Ms. Linda, amazing authors doing read-alouds, additional storytime picks, and downloadable tie-in activities to do during the event

Read more

Books for Summer Reading

This summer, let students unwind from a long school year with books that will get them excited about reading and invite them to step outdoors. We’ve compiled a collection of fun, action-packed stories and activities that will allow students to connect with nature and take them on adventures around the world without leaving their own

Read more

New Thematic Educator Guide: Teaching About Climate Change

Climate change is an interdisciplinary problem facing all of us. Sometimes, educators shy away from discussing climate change with young students because they’re overwhelmed by simplifying the science for their students. They worry about causing anxiety by discussing big issues like rising seas and temperatures. They fear pushback from community members. But young students hear

Read more

Books for Summer Reading

Summer is the best time to spark and grow students’ love and joy for reading with exciting and adventurous books that will help them remember what’s fun about reading outside of the classroom. Reading culture is important to promote all year long, and summer is a crucial time to make sure kids keep reading and

Read more