Children's Book Suggestions | Middle Eastern & North African Picture BooksUnpublished

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Celebrate the beauty and diversity of life in the Arab diaspora throughout the year. Wrapping grape leaves, playing doumbek, drawing henna tattoos, we're Arab, Arab, Arab, the whole year through! Yallah! From January to December, join some busy kids as...

"This colorful book is bursting with joy. It celebrates fashion as a form of self-expression, and highlights the hijab as a means of creating community and honoring tradition" - Leigh Russell King, Lincoln Street School Hana has a humongous collection of hijabs and...

It's market day for Samira and her grandma! The bazaar is crowded, but this sweet pair knows how to stick together in this silly picture book set in Iran. Mama Shamsi is off to the market, and today, Samira gets to go with her! Samira loves spending time with her grandmother, and...

Nobel Peace Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Malala Yousafzai's first picture book, inspired by her own childhood. Malala's first picture book will inspire young readers everywhere to find the magic all around them. As a child in Pakistan, Malala...

Magnificently capturing the colorful world of Islam for the youngest readers, this breathtaking and informative picture book celebrates Islam's beauty and traditions. From a red prayer rug to a blue hijab, everyday colors are given special meaning as young readers learn about clothing, food, and...

A young boy on a crowded bus discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there's room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book set in Zanzibar. The dala dala rumbles and roars as Musa and Dada drive off to the shore--but the bus stops for multiple detours: "Do...

Rubina has been invited to her first birthday party, and her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. Rubina is mortified, but she can't convince Ami that you just don't bring your younger sister to your friend's party. So both girls go, and not only does Sana demand to win every...

A joyous celebration of a girl's first family outing in a new country"With her colorful, exuberant folk-art illustrations and upbeat, friendly tone, Rashin makes a daunting cross-cultural leap seem as easy as a summer breeze." -- New York Times Book ReviewRashin is excited about her...

"A joyful, wildly imaginative book" --The New York Times It's Rashin's first day of school in America! Everything is a different shape than what she's used to: from the foods on her breakfast plate to the letters in the books! And the kids' families are from...

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!   A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school--and two sisters on one's first day of hijab--by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.   With...

Newcomer Salma and friends cook up a heartwarming dish to cheer up Mama. All Salma wants is to make her mama smile again. Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn't...

A poignant picture book memoir from Bana Alabed, the seven-year-old Syrian girl from Aleppo whose messages to the world have turned her into a global symbol and advocate for refugee rights. "I just want to live without fear." --Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 12, 2016 ...

★ "A beautiful and poignant coming-of-age book . . . Based on the author's and illustrator's personal experiences, this unique war story is full of hope and resilience that shines through even the worst of situations" - School Library Journal, starred review Forced to...

Don't miss out on this beautiful celebration of Islam and mosques as spaces for spiritual gathering! Step in and discover all the rituals and wonder of the mosque in this lyrical debut picture book from M. O Yuksel, with gorgeous artwork from New York Times bestselling illustrator Hatem...

In a bustling marketplace in Iran, a traditional storyteller regales her audience with the tale of Prince Zal and the Simorgh. High up on the Mountain of Gems lives the Simorgh, a wise phoenix whose flapping wings disperse the seeds of life across the world. When King Sam commands that his long...

A day in the life of a child in Turkey told from the child's point of view. I See the Sun in Turkey is one of the books in the multiple award-winning I See the Sun in... series of bi-lingual picture books, each focused on one country and one day in the life of one child with...

The Caldecott Honor-winning true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, who in the midst of the Syrian Civil War courageously offered safe haven to Aleppo's abandoned cats.   Aleppo's city center no longer echoes with the rich, exciting sounds of copper-pot pounding and...

Cleopatra tells her version of events as the ruler of the last ancient Egyptian dynasty. In this hilarious and revealing tell-all, the politically savvy, multilingual, cosmopolitan ruler of Alexandria, Cleopatra, reveals herself to be the world's first influencer. Finally able...

A Junior Library Guild Selection Canadian Jewish Literary Award Winner National Jewish Book Award Finalist Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids School Library Journal Best of the Year Tablet Best of the Year ★ "A vibrant...

Three delightful tales from a renowned Nigerian storyteller introduce a chapter-book heroine who is every bit as mighty as she is small. In a trio of droll stories, award-winning author and storyteller Atinuke debuts an endearing and enduring character with plenty to prove. Tola...