The Cloak from Baghdad: A Graphic Novel
Written by Carol Isaacs
Illustrated by Carol Isaacs
Published by Kar-Ben Publishing
Growing up in London in the 1970s, there’s a lot that Louise doesn’t know about her family.
Her parents and grandmother fled Iraq forty years ago, but no one will tell her why. She gets her answers when a magical cloak—an abaya—transports Louise back in time to her mother’s childhood.
In the 1930s, Flora is living an ordinary life in Baghdad with her twin brother and the rest of their family: attending school, shopping in the souk, swimming in the Tigris River. But the world around them is changing, and Iraq is no longer a safe place to be Jewish. When Flora’s home is attacked, Louise finally understands the forces that have shaped her family.
A kid-friendly story about the underrepresented community of Iraqi Jews.
Primary ISBN: 9798765670231
Publication Date: September 2026
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Age 08 or older
Community Represented: Iraqi/Iraqi American
Themes: Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Food, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Discrimination: Cultural, Discrimination: Language Ability, Discrimination: Microaggression, Discrimination: Religious, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, Format: Graphic Novel, Generation: 1st, Generational Differences, Genre: Historical, Identity: Exploration, Identity: Multilingual, Immigrant: Religious Freedom, Multilingual: Arabic Featured Words, Multilingual: Hebrew Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Religious Background: Jewish, Setting: Home Country, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Intergenerational
Setting: England (London), Iraq (Baghdad) - Historical
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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