Say Something, Poupeh Babaee!: A Graphic Novel - by Haleh Massey

About the Book

Ten-year-old Poupeh, an Iranian girl living in the U.S., must overcome selective mutism to advocate for her parents during an embassy interview after a travel ban prevents them from entering the country.

Book Synopsis

Moving to a new country is hard enough, especially when you have to do it alone during a national travel ban. When the pressures of a new school, a new language, and new bullies leaves Poupeh selectively mute, she struggles to find her voice which leaves her family pleading "Say something, Poupeh Babaee!"

Poupeh Babaee is an Iranian girl sent to live with her relatives in the United States. Although Poupeh understands and speaks English, the stress of entering a new school in a foreign land renders her mute, and she is diagnosed with selective mutism. Worse yet, a travel ban--which labels Iran a "dangerous country"--has barred her parents from entering the US!

In order to help her parents immigrate, Poupeh must find a way to speak up for them during an interview with an embassy officer or risk being separated. This powerful, heart-warming graphic novel debut shows the bravery and courage of a young girl who will do anything to reunite her family.

About the Author

Dr. Haleh Massey has blossomed from an awkward teenager to an awkward mother. She is a clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist with almost two decades of experience working with children and their families. She met the love of her life at a non-profit agency in the big, bad city, then returned to the suburbs where she and her husband run a private practice and are awkwardly raising two amazing children. When she's not working, Dr. Massey enjoys building Lego and eating turkey sandwiches.

Ghazal Qadri is a Kashmiri-born illustrator. Born and raised in a conflict area, Ghazal enjoys working on daily comics about her real-life situations, especially ones that she experienced while living in Kashmir. Changing a mundane moment into a relatable story is the way she makes sense through her art. Ghazal's work focuses on storytelling through comics and Illustrations for books, digital products, and more.