Diverse Books - Near East/Levant/Arabian Peninsula Picture Books

"When Somaya accompanies her grandfather to the market, she is determined to get to the tentmaker's stall in order to complete a special birthday surprise for her Giddo"-- Provided by publisher.

Learn more about this springtime holiday recognized by millions around the world. Nowruz means "new day" in Persian, and it's the best time of the year to celebrate mother nature! The vernal equinox is the very first moment of spring, and once it draws closer, we know it's time to prepare for Nowruz. For over twenty-five centuries, people from all over the globe have celebrated this holiday--including Ariana and her family. But, with Mom out of town,...

Knots are necessary and imperfection is a gift in this poignant picture book about an Iranian boy learning to make a new family rug with his grandmother, from an award-winning duo. Here's something to remember: Even a rug can be a precious thing. One morning, a young boy is woken up early by his grandmother. It's time to make a new rug for the family. Together, they wash and dye the wool. When it's time to knot the threads, the young boy grows nervous....

"Ali has arrived in Palestine for a visit just in time for the olive harvest. His grandfather, Seedo, and Hilwa--his favorite tree--greet him in the grove, where Seedo explains that Hilwa has many gifts to share. Other family members whack the trees' branches with sticks, singing 'Zaytoon, ya zaytoon' while cousins clap and dance and happily pick up fallen olives. (Luckily, a gentle whack is all it takes for Hilwa's fruits to rain down!) The next...

A young Syrian American girl remembers the beauty and joy of her home in a gorgeous picture book that is perfect for fans of Watercress.

Join Sofia and her mom and dad as they spend Eid, the Islamic holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, with her Mexican grandmother. Includes trilingual glossary.

A young girl and her family have to suddenly leave home, traveling by foot through different landscapes and settling in a new city, that looks and feels very different from home.

"Grandpa is finally here to visit! He's brought a suitcase smelling of Persian spices, walnuts picked from his trees at home, and sparkly saffron to make yellow rice. And Grandpa and granddaughter have so much they want to see and do together. She shows him all her favorite things: the mountaintops, the tunnel she discovered, and the horse in the field. If only Grandpa could stay longer, then he could see the spring. But when time together is limited,...

"A family has fled their homeland in search of safety in another country, carrying a single suitcase. As their journey unfolds, the oldest child reflects on the special contents of that suitcase: photo albums that evoke eleven of many names for love in Arabic. From sunshine-warm friendship to the love that dissolves all tears; from the love that makes you swoon to the love that leaves you yearning for the heart's homeland--her family has experienced...

"It's 1967 in Nablus, Palestine. Oraib loves the olive trees that grow outside the refugee camp where she lives. Each harvest, she and her mama pick the small fruits, and she eagerly stomp stomp stomps on them to release their golden oil. Olives have always tied her family to the land, as Oraib learns from the stories Mama tells of a home before war. But war has come to their door once more, forcing them to flee. Even as her family is uprooted, Oraib...