# @etraintalks on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DRKkX4-CXkn
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/37072415-etraintalks-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cfecb4159a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-11-17T17:19:28.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** E TRAIN TALKS - 12 Year Old Literacy Advocate (@etraintalks) — https://gondola.cc/etraintalks

## Caption

SAY SOMETHING, POUPEH BABAEE! by askdrwoodchuck Haleh Massey and illustrated by Ghazal Qadri is a super powerful middle-grade graphic novel that honestly hit me way harder than I expected. It follows Poupeh, a young Iranian girl who moves to the U.S. to stay with her relatives while she waits for her parents to join her from Iran. But right when they’re finally able to come, the U.S. puts a temporary travel ban on several Middle Eastern countries, including Iran. Poupeh finds herself stuck in the U.S. without her parents for months, and the loneliness really starts to take a toll. 
Even though she’s living with her aunt, Poupeh feels empty and out of place. She knows English, but the stress and anxiety of everything going on causes her to develop selective mutism, a childhood anxiety disorder where you literally can’t speak in certain situations. The illustrations and writing in this touching #GN demonstrates this in such a real and relatable way that it’s impossible not to feel for Poupeh. Dr. Massey’s writing does an amazing job showing what immigration can actually feel like for kids, the emotional confusion, the fear, the challenge of learning new customs, and the struggle to find your voice (literally and figuratively). The story also touches on family, loneliness, courage, and how hard it is to start over somewhere new. The artwork is expressive, the dialogue feels real, and the whole book just… matters. 

SAY SOMETHING, POUPEH BABAEE! is meaningful, timely, and 10/10 read for anyone who loves graphic novels with heart. 

Title: SAY SOMETHING, POUPEH BABAEE! 
Author: askdrwoodchuck Haleh Massey Illustrated by Ghazal Qadri Publisher: Yellow Jacket, an imprint of littlebeebooks Books 
Review by: Ethan etraintalks 

#etraintalks #literacyadvocate #bookstagram #kidlit #mglit #mentalhealthawareness #readingcommunity #graphicnovel #podcast #immigration #selectivemutism #middlegradebooks #teachersofinstagram #librarian #iran #therapybooks #bookreviews

## Stats

- **Views:** 176
- **Likes:** 36
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 4

## Tags

kidlit, immigration, selectivemutism, gn, middlegradebooks, etraintalks, teachersofinstagram, mglit, bookstagram, readingcommunity, librarian, iran, podcast, mentalhealthawareness, bookreviews, graphicnovel, therapybooks, literacyadvocate

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