Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story

Written and illustrated by Malak Matar
Crocodile Books (2022)
30 pp.

Sitti’s Bird is a beautifully illustrated, age-appropriate story about young Malak’s experiences during “Operation Protective Edge,” Israel’s 2014 bombing and ground invasion of Gaza, which lasted almost two months. The protective warmth of Malak’s family and school provide a safe context for children to begin to learn about Palestinian life under Israeli siege.

Malak’s use of art as a way to express and share her feelings is a testament to her resilience and that of her community. Her story opens the door to discussions with children about the pain of isolation and loss, and the ways that creativity—art, music, dance, poetry—can help us in dark times as well as joyful ones.

Grade Level: Early Elementary and up

Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine

By Hannah Moushabeck,
Illustrated by Reem Madooh
Chronicle Books (2023)

Hannah Moushabeck uses the stories her Palestinian father told about his childhood to introduce children to life in Jerusalem before the Nakba, when her family was forced to leave their homes and ended up scattered across the globe. Despite the sad end, it’s a joyous book, filled with Reem Madooh’s lively illustrations of daily life in the Old City, family celebrations, and mischievous children.

Grade Level: Preschool and up

Olive Harvest in Palestine

By Wafa Shami
Illustrated by Shaima Farouki
28 pgs.
Gate Advertising (2019)

Olive Harvest in Palestine is a picture book that shows a beautiful slice of Palestinian life as it relates to olives. The story follows two Palestinian girls, Manal and Noor, as they participate in their community’s tradition of harvesting and processing olives into olive oil. The girls have fun as they follow the lead of their community in this collective effort, and they also learn from their father the ancestral and cultural importance of harvesting olives and producing olive oil for Palestinians.

Grade Level: 5 years and older.

Salim’s Soccer Ball: A Story of Palestinian Resilience

By Tala El-fahmawi
Illustrated by Neveen Abu Saleem
50 pgs.
Tablo Publishing (2022)

Salim’s Soccer Ball conveys, in simple, rhyming stanzas, the resilience and strength that Palestinians find in each other and in the land. Salim loses his soccer ball. As he asks the adults in his community for help, each shares how they have persevered in their contributions to the community despite living under occupation. Author Tala El-fahmawi creatively helps children think about loss, grief, and the  healing that can be found amongst loved ones and in community. An age-appropriate introduction to the concepts of apartheid and occupation, as well as Palestinian cultural practices as a form of resilience.

Grade Level: 5 years and older.

The Mouse Who Saved Egypt

By Karim Alrawi
Illustrated By Bee Willey
(Crocodile Books, 2011)
26 pgs.

This picture book is a translation of an ancient Egyptian folktale. A young Egyptian prince stumbles on a mouse trapped in a thorn bush and sets him free. When the prince becomes pharaoh of Egypt, he is a kind and generous leader. Suddenly, the kingdom is threatened with attack. The mouse he rescued saves the day by mobilizing all the mice of Egypt to eat through the enemy army’s clothing, straps, saddles and armor.

Instead of Arab cultures stereotypically portrayed as barbaric and violent, here children are exposed to a better introduction. The prince helps out a little mouse because of the kindness of his heart; through doing good, good is brought back to him. The Mouse Who Saved Egypt is a great way to open up dialogue regarding kindness and the good you put out into the world without expecting anything in return.

Grade Level: Preschool and early elementary

P is for Palestine

By Golbarg Bassi
Illustrated By Golrokh Nafisi
(Dr.Bashi, 2017)
56 pgs.

P Is for Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book is engaging and fun. As an introduction to Palestine, it provides children of different backgrounds brief glimpses of Palestinian foods, cities, and celebrations. For Palestinian American children, it’s a rare chance to see aspects of their culture in print. It includes a few Arabic words to learn, and both Muslim and Christian holidays.

Grade Level: Preschool and early elementary

Baba, What Does My Name Mean?
A Journey to Palestine

By Rifk Ebeid
Illustrated by Lamaa Jawhari
(Tablo Publishing, 2020)
24 pgs.

In this picture book, Saamidah and her dove of peace travel magically across pre-1948 Palestine, visiting cities and learning about Palestinian culture. For example, we learn that Areeha (Jericho) is one of the oldest cities in the world and the lowest point on earth, and that Nablus is famous for a delicious, cheesy dessert called kunafa. As Palestinian author Ramzy Baroud notes: “Baba, What Does My Name Mean? is an enjoyable, yet profound representation of Palestine that will help children trace their Palestinian identity and heritage in an unforgettable way. At a time when mainstream media is deliberately assigning Palestine and her people with negative associations, damaging undertones, and harmful stereotypes, Ebeid’s book is a refreshing reminder of a people’s spirit that cannot be suppressed.”

In a note at the back, Ebeid explains why she uses transliterations of the Arabic names of Palestinian cities, and provides a key with place names that may be more familiar to US readers.

Grade Level: Preschool and early elementary

Sitti’s Secrets

By Naomi Shihab Nye
Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
(Aladdin Paperbacks, 1994)
32 pgs.

Sitti means grandma in Arabic. The narrator of this beautifully written and illustrated picture book is Mona, a young girl who thinks back to the time she spent with her grandmother, who lives “on the other side of the earth.” Mona lists many things that separate them from one another. Then she describes the many things they did together, using language they invented to communicate with each other. After Mona returns home, she writes a letter to the president. “If the people of the United States could meet Sitti, they’d like her, for sure,” she says.

Although Sitti’s Secrets is dedicated to Naomi Shihad Nye’s grandmother in Palestine, and the author’s bio at the end describes Shihad Nye’s own connection to Palestine, Mona never says where her grandmother lives, or why it’s so difficult for them to visit each other. This both universalizes the story, and creates challenges for teachers. What questions could you ask that would help children of different backgrounds connect Sitti’s Secrets to their own lives? What information will you add about Palestine?

Grade level: Preschool and early elementary

These Chicks / هالصيصان

By Laila Taji, illustrated by Lela Tsinadze.
ArabishWay (2018). In Arabic with English translation.

هالصيصان (These Chicks) is a bright and colorful board book with adorable pictures. The Arabic font is clear and large for new readers, and every word is both translated and transliterated into English to assist with pronunciation and understanding.

As MECA staff member Voulette Hattar explains: “When I first read Ha See-Sawn, or These Chicks, a flood of memories of my childhood came rushing in. When I was young, my mother taught me and my sister Arabic nursery rhymes to make sure that we did not lose our native tongue once we moved to the United States. These Chicks, a beloved and classic Arabic nursery rhyme, was one of my favorites of the rhymes we sang together. My mother learned nursery rhymes from her mother and then taught them to us. One of the ways that Palestine is remembered and passed down through generations is through nursey rhymes.”