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The Arabic Quilt

An Immigrant Story
4.41 goodreads logo

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( 1,110 ratings, 273 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Arabic Quilt follows Kanzi, a young girl who has recently moved from Egypt to America. On her first day at a new school, she hopes to fit in but faces teasing when her mother arrives wearing a hijab and brings her a traditional lunch. That evening, Kanzi wraps herself in a quilt from her grandmother and writes a poem in Arabic, sparking her teacher to involve the whole class in creating a paper quilt of student names in Arabic. Through this heartfelt story, Kanzi finds a way to bridge her old home and new one.

This authentic tale is beautifully illustrated and includes a glossary of Arabic words as well as Arabic letters with phonetic English equivalents.
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Format: Hardback
$3399
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

The Arabic Quilt is well suited for children, especially those from immigrant families or anyone interested in multicultural stories. It also serves as an educational resource for teachers and parents wishing to introduce Arabic language and culture in an accessible way.

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2021 ARAB AMERICAN CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD WINNER Children's Africana Book Award (CABA) 2021 Honor Book NCSS 2021 Notable Social Studies Book

The story of how a beautiful quilt helps a Muslim girl from Egypt find acceptance in an American school.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Kanzi's family has moved from Egypt to America, and on her first day in a new school, what she wants more than anything is to fit in. Maybe that's why she forgets to take the kofta sandwich her mother has made for her lunch, but that backfires when Mama shows up at school with the sandwich. Mama wears a hijab and calls her daughter Habibti (dear one). When she leaves, the teasing starts.

That night, Kanzi wraps herself in the beautiful Arabic quilt her teita (grandma) in Cairo gave her and writes a poem in Arabic about the quilt. The next day, her teacher sees the poem and gets the entire class excited about creating a "quilt" (a paper collage) of student names in Arabic. In the end, Kanzi's most treasured reminder of her old home provides a pathway for acceptance in her new one.

This authentic story with beautiful illustrations includes a glossary of Arabic words and a presentation of Arabic letters with their phonetic English equivalents.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

School Library Journal gave a starred review, calling it a "timely, heartwarming story with expressive, vibrant illustrations that complement the text," praising its ability to boost immigrant children's morale and promote open-mindedness. A reviewer shared that the book moves readers profoundly, highlighting the universal emotions of children from families with different languages, traditional attire, or ethnic foods. It is described as an endearing and emotionally resonant debut picture book.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780884487548

Publisher: Tilbury House,U.S.

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 18 February 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Tilbury House,U.S.

Illustration: full color

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 239.0mm

Height: 264.0mm

Weight: 464g

Pages: 36

About the Author

Aya Khalil is an award-winning author of picture books and board books. Aya holds a master's degree in education, whose articles have been published in The Huffington Post, The Christian Science Monitor and Motherly. Aya and her books have been featured in Teen Vogue, Oprah Daily, The Washington Post and more. She was named one of Arab America's Foundation's 40 under 40 in 2021. Anait Semirdzhyan grew up in a multicultural family and lived in several countries with diverse cultures before settling in the Seattle area with her husband and twin daughters. Her illustrations begin as pencil sketches on cold-press watercolor paper. She then inks the outlines, paints with watercolors, and scans the illustrations in order to edit them in Photoshop. She is the illustrator of The Arabic Quilt and other works that can be viewed at www.anaitsart.com.

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