by Reem Kassis
illustrated by Noha Eilouti
A glorious celebration of culture, heritage and tradition, encompassing Palestinian symbols, artists, history, traditions, religions, geographies and cuisine. Page-turning non-fiction which manages to pack in a generous amount of information. There are questions to the reader, 'Fun Fact' boxes, quotes and detailed illustrations of people, landscapes and artefact by Noha Eilouti, an emerging Palestinian-Canadian illustrator. Sections we especially enjoyed were: the salute to Palestinian cinema; biographies of creative talents such as authors Edward Said and Sahar Khalifeh ('the first feminist Palestinian writer'), poet Mahmoud Darwish and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; the histories of ancient cities from Jerusalem to Bethlehem; the culinary spreads- mansaf, falafel, knafeh- perhaps not surprising as the author is also a cookbook writer.
'A lovely tribute to Palestine, Palestinians, the diaspora- which cleverly balances the pain of displacement and war with a powerful sense of heritage, legacy and permanence. ' (Letterbox Library Staff). 'Informative and easy to follow with great illustrations. It brings Palestinian culture to life. Given the current conflict and attempts to decimate Palestinian life in Gaza and the West Bank, it feels particularly poignant. But a message that the culture will survive' (Sylvia, former Children's Social Work Director, Letterbox Library reviewer). Age 7-11, Hardback 105pp