Leila and the Voice

Praise for Leila and the Voice by Shahrzad Maydani:

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Big Picture of the Month (June 2025)


★ “A brilliant and deeply compassionate offering … Maydani’s use of different mediums work in concert to lend an epic feeling to Leila’s journey. Scratchboard illustrations etch the menacing monsters with swirls and designs that cover their bodies, like great creatures of myth. … Children wrestling with big feelings will be delighted by Leila’s wondrous adventure.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

“Via immersive artwork and emotive prose, Maydani explores what it takes to be resilient in the face of big emotions. … Bold scratchboard etchings, combined with chalk, pastel, and watercolor, throb with a vibrant coloring … resonates with emotional depth.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A story of finding inner courage in the face of fear … stunning.”
—Booklist