Zeina Abirached grew up in Beirut in the 1980s as fighting between Christians and Muslims divided the city streets. With striking black-and-white artwork, Abirached recalls the details of ordinary life inside a war zone.
I Remember Beirut
USBBY Outstanding International Book
Millie Waits for the Mail
Millie the cow loves to scare the mailman and chase him off the farm, until the mailman comes up with a plan that ends up pleasing everyone.
Piano Piano
Marcolino hates practicing his scales on the piano, but feels he must because he is the reason his mother never became a grand pianist–until his grandfather lets them both in on a little secret.
Mee-An and the Magic Serpent
When Assa finds her beautiful sister Mee-An the perfect mate, the two sisters go off to live with him, only to discover that he is not at all what he seems to be.
Mixing It
Steve, a British high school student, and Fatimah, a devout Muslim and daughter of immigrants, must learn to overcome their community’s prejudices after a picture of Fatimah nursing Steven after a terrorist attack is featured in a national newspaper.
My Mother’s Sari
Children in India playfully use their mothers’ beautiful saris as a train, a stage backdrop, a river, a rope, a hiding place, a blanket, or a handkerchief-ultimately, the sari expresses the love of mother and child. Dramatic photographs and acrylics on lightly stylized paper illustrate the simple text. Endpapers demonstrate how to wrap the long sari.
My Father’s Shop
Despite his father’s wishes, a Moroccan carpet seller’s son doesn’t want to learn foreign languages, but when trying to make a rooster crow in a crowded, tourist-filled market, he inadvertently learns how roosters crow in many countries.
Nasreddine
Loosely based on the Middle Eastern folk hero Nasreddine Hodja, in this retelling young Nasreddine learns that, instead of always listening to the advice of others, it is better for one to “decide if what you are hearing is wise, or if it’s only silly and hurtful.” Humorous, earth-toned watercolor illustrations effectively use line, white space, and pacing to offer an authentic Middle Eastern setting.
My Father’s Arms Are a Boat
A sleepless young boy who is missing his recently deceased mother finds comfort and warmth in his father’s arms. Uniquely collaged, exquisite art that provides understanding without artificial reassurance enhances this gentle lullaby of a story.
Picture a Tree
This paean to trees, illustrated in expressive, detailed, and gestural plasticine, allows readers to imagine a tree—from its branches as a drawing in the sky to a tunnel, or the ocean, and anything in between. The background of each spread is textured and filled with birds, leaves, and planes.