I would like to share a new book from Chronicle Books. Homeland My Father Dreams of Palestine which I received a copy of in exchange for this review.
Neither Charlie or I know much about Palestine which has led to many questions about Country which we will be researching and studying in our Homeschool Classes this year. I thought it was nice to see the father and daughter’s relationship which reminded me of David and Leslie’s when she was smaller.
Homeland My Father Dreams of Palestine is an autobiographical picture book which would have been the perfect Father’s Day Gift for Les to give her David when she was growing up. Then Les and David could have sat down to read the book together. Les could have helped her dad with the words he didn’t know giving them one on one time together. Which wouldn’t happen now unless I paid her and you shouldn’t have to pay someone to spend time with these parents.
Instead Charlie is excited to share this story with his dad and to see how much he knows about Palestine. Before Charlie began to read the book with me Charlie let me know he liked the cover with the Doves on the front of the book. Charlie discussed the Temple in the background and let me know one day he would like to visit. one.
Charlie thought it would be fun to have a bedroom as big as they girls so all of his friends would have a place to sleep. We discussed the pictures and who they people might be. Charlie let me know he would have wanted to see the gentleman fart so much it lifted him off the ground. Which I pass on because he might have made the room stink.
Through this book we learned words we had never heard of before. I love how the Author took us on the walk with the little boy and the men. Sharing what the vendors had for sale. I wish we could have stopped and looked. There was a call to Prayer which all of us should do more of. Now, don’t ask me if they ever get to Palestine because you need to read the book for yourself to find out what happens.
Charlie and I believe this children’s book can be for younger children as long as you explain the things, they don’t know to them. Or Middle School children might enjoy the story if their parents would read the book with them. It’s a wonderful bedtime story full of colorful illustrations and children in High School and even adults can learn new things through this book.
A father and his daughters may not be able to return home . . . but they can celebrate stories of their homeland!
As bedtime approaches, three young girls eagerly await the return of their father who tells them stories of a faraway homeland-Palestine. Through their father’s memories, the Old City of Jerusalem comes to life: the sounds of street vendors beating rhythms with brass coffee cups, the smell of argileh drifting through windows, and the sight of Doves flapping their wings toward home. These daughters of the diaspora feel love for a place they have never been, a place they cannot go. But, astheir father’s story comes to an end, they know that through his memories they will always return.
A Palestinian family celebrates the stories of their homeland in this moving autobiographical picture book debut by Hannah Moushabeck. With heartfelt illustrations by Reem Madooh, this story is a love letter to home, to family, and to the persisting hope of people that transcends borders.
UNIVERSAL MESSAGE: There are so many people who long to return to their homelands but are unable to. This story will resonate with immigrant families and refugees of all ethnicities and origins, as well as anyone who yearns for home.
UNDERREPRESENTED NARRATIVE: There are nearly 4 million Arab Americans living in the United States, but still very few picture books that address the Arab experience.
INTERGENERATIONAL ENGAGEMENT: This sweet father-daughter story celebrates the bedtime ritual of storytelling, promoting intergenerational sharing and modeling learning about family trees and family histories. A perfect read-aloud for Father’s Day!
Perfect for:
• Anyone looking for books about Palestine or with Palestinian narratives
• Readers seeking kids’ culture books, immigrant or refugee stories, or diverse picture books
• Father’s Day gift giving to dads, grandparents, uncles, and friends with a heartfelt connection to their homelands
• Readers with a passion for memoirs and stories that illustrate the immigrant experience
Meet the Author and Illustrator
Hannah Moushabeck is a second-generation Palestinian American author, editor, and marketer who was raised in a family of booksellers and publishers in Western Massachusetts and England. Born into Interlink Publishing, a family-run independent publishing company, she learned the power of literature at a young age. Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine is her first picture book. She lives in western Massachusetts, near her family.
Reem Madooh is an illustrator from Kuwait with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration. She is an avid picture book collector and loves narrative storytelling and incorporating a dreamlike atmosphere into her art. As a child, she enjoyed listening to stories of the old days from her parents and grandparents. She also loves za’atar and makes sure to have some every day. Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine is her first picture book. She lives in Kuwait.
Thank you, Glenda Charlie and David Cates
