Retells folktales and fables from Iran, including the story of a mouse and a cockroach who fell in love, a foolish weaver’s apprentice, and a boy with the head of a chickpea.
Pea Boy and Other Stories from Iran
Middle East
First Rain
When Abby moves with her family to Israel, she misses her grandmother and during the dry Israeli summer, she remembers the fun they used to have splashing in puddles together
O, Jerusalem: Voices Of A Sacred City
A poetic tribute to Jerusalem, in honor of the 3000th anniversary of its founding, celebrating its history as a holy city for three major religions.
Mecca (Holy Cities)
Charts the development of Mecca as the most holy city for the world’s community of Muslims, and explains clearly the history of Islam itself; shows how Mecca symbolizes the richness of Islam through its traditions, its religious festivals, and powerful art and architecture.
Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak
Deborah Ellis’s enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy recounted the experiences of children living in Afghanistan; now Ellis turns her attention to the young people of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After visiting the region to conduct interviews, she presents their stories here in their own words. Twelve-year-old Nora, eleven-year-old Mohammad, and many others speak directly about their lives – which prove to be both ordinary and extraordinary: They argue with their siblings. They hate spinach. They have wishes for the future. Yet they have also seen their homes destroyed and families killed, and live amidst constant upheaval and violence.This simple, telling book allows young readers everywhere to see that the children caught in this conflict are just like them – but living far more difficult and dangerous lives. Without taking sides, it presents an unblinking portrait of children victimized by the endless struggle around them.
Pride of Baghdad
A graphic novel looks at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War, inspired by true events. In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets in a desperate struggle for their lives. Pride of Baghdad raises questions about the true meaning of liberation – can it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity?
Meat Eating Vegetarian
Tasneem is so happy at her new school and with her new friends, Lisa and Yvonne. Suddenly her friends start avoiding her and calling her names. What could possibly have happened and what has it to do with vegetarian dinners and wearing a scarf?
Nearly Nonsense
Nasrudin Hoja was a mullah (teacher) in Turkey. He was a busy man – he worked in a vineyard, gave sermons at the mosque, and was sometimes even a judge. He did all of this with a nagging wife, a constant stream of uninvited visitors, and many animals. Although Hoja’s life wasn’t easy, his heart was always light and his observations about life held a witty twist. For instance, when his donkey got lost, his neighbors offered sympathy, but Hoja found the bright side: “Imagine if I were riding the donkey at the time. I’d be lost too!”Though the ten Hoja stories presented by Rina Singh and richly illustrated by Farida Zaman are funny, each one contains such insight into human nature that Sufi teachers use them to illustrate their teachings. Traditional Turkish Hoja stories are much-loved throughout Asia, and Nearly Nonsense brings them to a North American readership sure to enjoy them and, through laughter, to learn from them.
Bahrain
The highly regarded Cultures of the World series celebrates the diversity of other cultures in this fully updated and expanded edition.
Al Dudatu Al Shadidatu Al Gou
Arabic translation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar was hatched out of a tiny egg. He was very hungry. On Monday, he ate through one apple; on Tuesday, he ate through two pears; on Wednesday he ate through three plums – and still he was hungry. Strikingly bold, colorful pictures and a simple text in large clear type tell the story of the hungry little caterpillar’s progress through an amazing variety and quantity of foods. Full at last, he made a cocoon around himself and went to sleep, to wake up a few weeks later wonderfully transformed into a butterfly.