SWANA & Arab American Books for Kids

There is joy in seeing yourself reflected in books and there is knowledge in reading other’s stories. This list is a selection of books featuring characters and cultures of Arab and other South West Asian & North African American communities.

Updated July 6, 2026
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The book that almost rhymed
Abed, Omar
Paper Book
Every great adventure needs a hero-or two! This playful take on storytelling and equity proves that two tellers can make a rhyming tale twice as nice. What do you do with an interrupting sibling? Especially when she's stepping all over your story with wild ideas that don't...
Home away from home
Akbari, Nazneen
JLG Gold Standard Selection "Nurturing experiences transform a young girl's discomfort into visceral delight--for protagonist and readers alike" - Kirkus Reviews "Sweet celebration of faraway family, the beauty of culture, and the common experiences...
It ain't so awful, falafel
Dumas, Firoozeh
Paper Book
Zomorod (Cindy) Yousefzadeh is the new kid on the block . . . for the fourth time. California's Newport Beach is her family's latest perch, and she's determined to shuck her brainy loner persona and start afresh with a new Brady Bunch name--Cindy. It's the late 1970s, and fitting in becomes...
Lailah's lunchbox : a Ramadan story
Faruqi, Reem
Paper Book
Lailah solves her problem with help from the school librarian and her teacher and in doing so learns that she can make new friends who respect her beliefs. This gentle, moving story from first-time author Reem Faruqi comes to life in Lea Lyon's vibrant illustrations. Lyon uses decorative...
These olive trees
Ghanameh, Aya
Paper Book
The story of a Palestinian family's ties to the land, and how one young girl finds a way to care for her home, even as she says goodbye. It's 1967 in Nablus, Palestine. Oraib loves the olive trees that grow outside the refugee camp where she lives. Each harvest, she...
Mama Shamsi at the bazaar
Hassani, Mojdeh
Paper Book
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...
Saffron ice cream
Kheiriyeh, Rashin
Paper Book
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...
Seven special somethings : a Nowruz story
Khorram, Adib
Paper Book
A picture book celebrating Persian New Year by award-winning author Adib Khorram Kian can't wait for Persian New Year! His family has already made a haft-seen, and Kian's baba and maman told him that all the things on it start with S and will bring them joy in the new year...
Homeland : my father dreams of Palestine
Moushabeck, Hannah
Paper Book
A father and his daughters may not be able to return home . . . but they can celebrate stories of their homeland! As bedtime approaches, three young girls eagerly await the return of their father who tells them stories of a faraway homeland--Palestine....
Fly, girl, fly! : Shaesta Waiz soars around the world
Pimm, Nancy Roe
Paper Book
"You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar." --Shaesta Waiz Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in...
Egyptian lullaby
Pliska, Zeena M.
Paper Book
A rich, beautifully layered ode to the great city of Cairo, Egypt, its people, and culture. Every night, my Ametti Fatma sings the sounds of Egypt to me as I fall asleep. This is the Nile, that flows through the city. ...

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