Superluminous

“Nour was born luminous,” begins De Haes, depicting in sunny yellows a radiant infant cradled by her parents, glowing “as though a little sun was/ shining right inside of her.” The brown-skinned girl literally shines, her luminescence emboldening her to explore “the darkest, dreariest corners” of the house. Though she prefers spending time alone rather than with others, Nour dons a superhero outfit for the first day of school, determined to make friends. But upon encountering mixed responses to her light (“glowing is not a real superpower”), she retreats into self-doubt, and her resplendence dims to a flicker. It takes nighttime evoking an unfamiliar fear—the dark—to show Nour that sharing her “superluminous” powers can help “light up” the world. De Haes weaves together a tender narrative about self-image with striking illustrations in a warm, gold-tinged palette. Ages 3–5. [em](Mar.) [/em]