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“Alongside the lyrical definitions of love, the textured, bright, collagelike illustrations beautifully chronicle the family’s journey. The photographs of cherished memories are deftly interwoven alongside scenes of the characters building a new life. . . Relying on cultural touches such as a keffiyeh that one character wears, the story offers a glimpse into the lives of a Palestinian family uprooted from their home. A tender tale of love and remembrance.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Eleven Words for Love: A Journey Through Arabic Expressions of Love

Written by Randa Abdel-fattah
Illustrated by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Published by Candlewick Press

A family has fled their homeland in search of safety in another country, carrying a single suitcase. As their journey unfolds, the oldest child reflects on the special contents of that suitcase: photo albums that evoke eleven of many names for love in Arabic. From sunshine-warm friendship to the love that dissolves all tears; from the love that makes you swoon to the love that leaves you yearning for the heart’s homeland—her family has experienced it all. Illustrated in vibrant watercolor pencil and collage on textured card stock, this moving scrapbook shows a family embracing an unknown future even as they honor the past, casting immigration and the refugee experience in the light of universal human connection.

Primary ISBN: 9781536230215
Publication Date: November 2023
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Palestine

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Refugee or Asylee

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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