The Middle East & North Africa
Palestine
The Blue Pool of Questions
By Māyā Abū al-Ḥayyāt, Hanan Awad (Translator), Hassan Manasrah (Illustrator)
The Blue Pool of Questions. Māyā Abū al-Ḥayyāt. Translated by Hanan Awad. Illustrated by Hassan Manasrah. Penny Candy Books, 2017. Originally published in Arabic by Birzeit: Palestine Writing Workshop, in Palestine, in 2016. ISBN 9780997221985. 32 p. (Ages 4 and up). Picture book.
A man asks one question, and another, until his questions begin to fill the busy city that has no time for him. Taking a dive into the pool, he teaches a lesson about curiosity and courage. Educators have paired this poetic book with events on asking obvious or difficult questions, and questions from around the world can be found at #bluepoolofquestions on X (formerly Twitter). Event prompts, directions, prompts and a sample poster can be found at Curious City. Winner of a 2016 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, illustration category. [ea]
Sitti's Bird: A Gaza Story
By Malak Mattar
Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story. Malak Mattar. Translated by Interlink staff. Crocodile Books, 2022. ISBN 9781623718251. 32 p. (Ages 4-8). Picture book.
Malak loved her life in Gaza, watching the fish in the sea, seeing her friends at school and feeding her grandmother's bird. When she questions if her family is trapped like the bird, her grandmother advises her to escape the confines of her life in her imagination. While sheltering during the 2014 bombings in Gaza, Malak heeds this advice and finds strength through painting. This book provides an entry point to discussion of life in Gaza or of war with children. The book is based on the experiences of its now teenage artist/author who grew up and lives in Gaza. Mattar's work has been exhibited around the world. [ea]
Thunderbird: Book One
By Sonia Nimir, M. Lynx Qualey (Translator)
Thunderbird: Book One. Sonia Nimir. Translated by M. Lynx Qualey. University of Texas Press, 2022. Originally published as طائر الرع in Arabic by Tamer Institute, in Jerusalem, in 2016. ISBN 1477325816. 128 p. (Ages 10-13). Fiction.
Destiny has called for Noor, a 13-year-old Palestinian orphan, to fulfill a prophecy and keep the human and djinn worlds from colliding. Sent to collect four magical feathers, her quest takes her across time and to encounters with a feline djinn and powerful doppelganger versions of herself. Bringing together Ottoman, Mamluk and Ayyubid-era Palestine, this fast-paced fantasy is the first of a three-part trilogy. [ea]