A Muslim American stand-up comedian has a new gig, but this time it’s off-stage. She stars as the title subject in Maysoon Zayid, The Girl Who Can Can (Salaam Reads, Feb. 2026), the first installment in the Muslim Mavericks series of biographical middle grade chapter books, which aim to counteract negative Islamic stereotypes. It’s also the first chapter book written by Dr. Seema Yasmin, a Muslim journalist, author and physician who was inspired to bring Zayid’s inspirational story to the forefront.
From Stage to Page
Selecting Yasmin to write about Zayid was a natural choice for the team at Salaam Reads. Senior editor Deeba Zargarpur cited her strengths and similarities to Zayid as a “perfect fit. For one, she is a stereotype-shattering, inspiring Muslim maverick in her own right,” Zargarpur said. “With her own journalist background, Dr. Yasmin knows how to get to the heart of the story, and it shows.”
Yasmin was intrigued by the opportunity to interview Zayid—not only from a cultural perspective, but as a fan of her work. “Maysoon is a phenomenon,” she said. “I’ve admired her comedy for years and the way she shows up unapologetically Muslim and Palestinian.”
In preparation for their discussions, Yasmin absorbed Zayid’s previous interviews and attended her live comedy shows. Next came researching Zayid’s rich past, choosing which life events to relay in a style that was both age-appropriate and relatable. Yasmin’s career in medicine and science journalism (she teaches creative nonfiction and global health storytelling at Stanford University’s School of Medicine) enabled her to convey Zayid’s background, including her struggles with cerebral palsy, with an informed voice.
One critical moment in the book—Zayid’s desire to attend the same school as her three older sisters—highlighted her perception of what it means to be physically impaired. “She wasn’t saying specialized schools for disabled kids are inferior to other schools,” Yasmin said of their conversations. “She was speaking to the need for disabled kids to have agency and to be understood as unique and individual. Most of us can relate to a time when we did not feel listened to or could see that assumptions about us were being used to make decisions that could impact our future.”
Yasmin portrays Zayid’s personal struggles with a degree of universality, which embodies the goal of Muslim Mavericks as a whole. “It was important to create this series for young readers—both Muslim and non-Muslim—to see themselves reflected in the pages, but also to break boundaries and dream big, no matter their circumstances,” Zargarpur said.
Yasmin hopes that sharing Zayid’s life story with a larger audience offers readers a modern-day role model. “Maysoon is truthful and outspoken; she speaks up because her life depends on it, because it does,” she said. “Her story resonates with so many readers, young and old, who have had to fight to have their voices heard and have had to struggle to be seen and included.”
The next installment in the Muslim Mavericks series—also written by Yasmin—will release in fall 2026, and while it’s too soon to reveal the title or subject, Zargarpur offered a hint: “Lace up your running shoes; we’re headed to the track field!”
