By Reem Kassis, illustrated by Noha Eilouti
Published by Crocodile Books, an imprint of Interlink Publishing, April 2023
Hardback, 112 pages, full color illustrations, $19.95
For children aged 9 years and older
Available from the publisher at www.interlinkbooks.com, www.amazon.com, and in Jerusalem from the Educational Bookshop.
This book is a joyous celebration of an enduring culture and tradition – a living culture in ALL its splendor and beauty – and an antidote to the negative profiling and misrepresentation Palestinians get in Western news media. The well-informed and beautifully written text is brought to life through watercolor illustrations by Palestinian Canadian artist Noha Eilouti.
As you leaf through its pages you will find Palestine through culture and food, music, literature, and so much more. Every spread is filled with wonderful anecdotes, fascinating facts, and memorable quotes. Discover the history of iconic Palestinian symbols like tatreez (embroidery), or the inspiration behind Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. You’ll find yourself lost in the world of dabka (the folk dance of Palestine) and amazed by Palestine’s famous old cities; you’ll try traditional food such as knafeh, explore the different religions, and find out much more.
Chapters include Geography, Cultural Symbols, Creative Minds, Agriculture, Cuisine, Performing Arts, History, and Religion. It is the perfect book for parents and educators who wish to explore new worlds of culture and custom with children. Young readers are going to love discovering more about Palestine. For Palestinians, it is a source of great pride.
Michel Moushabeck, founder and publisher of Interlink Publishing, says: “Every word, every feature, every profile, and every illustration in this book is an act of resistance in the face of those trying to deny our existence … Every page screams: We are Palestinian; Palestine is our homeland; and we are NOT going away.”
Reem Kassis is a Palestinian American writer and award-winning author of two cookbooks: The Palestinian Table and The Arabesque Table. Her articles have been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Food & Wine, Saveur, and others. She chose a writing career in order “to preserve the traditions and stories of Palestinians for her three daughters and to share them with the world.” We Are Palestinian is her first children’s book.
Noha Eilouti is a Palestinian Canadian illustrator and visual development artist, with a BSc in multimedia design from the American University of Sharjah.
Looks like a good book. You should provide links to the Amazon and other sites that sell it.
Congratulations to the author and all who were involved. We must resist the attempts by the israhelli government and others to erase Palestinian existence.