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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Razia’s Ray of Hope
Razia dreams of getting an education, but in her small village in Afghanistan, girls haven’t been allowed to attend school for many years. When a new girls’ school opens in the village, a determined Razia must convince her father and oldest brother that educating her would be best for her, their family and their community.
Out the Window
This wordless board book consists of one double-sided, fan-folded page that opens out to reveal a unique bear’s-eye view of the world. Effective use of white space helps depict the initial journey, in contrast with energetic illustrations presenting an alternate view when the leaf is seen in reverse. A simple yet ingenious exploration of perspective.