To encourage wise utilisation of time and bring family members together around a book during Ramadan, award-winning UAE publisher,Kalimat Group, has launched their ‘Ramadan’s Book Library from Kalimat’ initiative, providing young readers with a selection of 30 thrilling and inspiring stories in Arabic from its wide-ranging catalogue of quality children’s literature.

Celebrating the spirit of the holy month, this special library has been curated by the publisher to promote good values and learning, develop awareness and empathy, and ignite young imaginations.

The insightful and endearing tales from the collection include:

World Feast

The story, written by Moemen Helmy and illustrated by Martina Gianlorenzi, instils in children a sense of responsibility towards the world they live in by making them think of ways to make it a better place. The protagonist is a child who surprises everybody by revealing his desire to become a chef when he grows up. He believes he can change the world for the better as he invites people from across the globe to sit at one table, enjoy the special meal he creates using a special recipe, and forget their problems.

Cotton Cloud

This story is about a gifted boy who can fly but only when no one is watching. The boy closes his eyes and flies far and high until he reaches the cotton clouds; he swims in them all day until he gets tired and goes to sleep. Authored by Nahla Ghandour and illustrated by Francesca Cosanti,Cotton Cloud is an entertaining story that provokes children’s thoughts and imagination.

Coral Reef

Written by Reem Al Gurg and illustrated by Rocio Alejandro, the story is about Chef Zaafoor,a seahorse who is meticulous about his recipes. One day his assistant falls sick, and Farhan the octopus comes as the substitute. The story, which goes on to prove that new recipes and culinary methods can be rewarding, appeals to children as the sea creatures in it mimic humans.

Aunt Osha

Authored by Fatima Sharafeddine and illustrated by Hanane Kai, the story is in the form of a poem and follows Aunt Osha, a woman whose nonstop chatter irritates people and causes commotion everyday. However, when she goes missing for four days, they become concerned and visit her home to find her ill and lonely.

Adel’s Colored Birds

Adel loves making birds from coloured paper. When he is at it, nothing can distract him until the red light on his room door flashes, signalling meal time. As soon as Adel walks into the dining room, the reader learns that Adel is deaf, for he starts communicating with his family using sign language. The story written by Fatima Sharafeddine and illustrated by Sara Sanchez teaches children that hearing loss does not hinder communication, and that deaf people can lead normal lives and practice their hobbies.

The Truth According to Arthur

Author Tim Hopgood tells the story of Ziad, who rides his big brother’s bike without taking his mother’s permission and crashes into her car, damaging the bike and the car. When Ziad’s friends ask what happened, he spins a story to justify what happened. Illustrated by David Tazzyman, the story focuses on honesty and encourages children to tell the truth and be responsible for their actions.

The Camel in the Sun

Inspired by a Hadith, the story authored by Griffin Ondaatje and illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruberis about a camel that is mercilessly starved and overworked by its owner. The animal’s suffering continues until Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) sees it standing under the blazing sun while its owner is resting in the shade. Saddened, the Prophet comforts the camel and then rebukes the owner, who immediately begins to take good care of it. The story teaches children to be compassionate and mindful of the sufferings of others.

Tayf

Written and illustrated by LisbelGavara, the story is about differences, self-love and respect through metaphors and poetic imagery.It is about a little girl with albinism, a skin condition caused by the absence of the pigment melanin, who dreams to reach for the most beautiful things in the world.She is different from other children around her not only in her appearance but also in her passion. In the end, readers learn that beauty is most pleasurable when things are shared with others.

I am not the Village Rooster

Every time Samir’s little brother annoys him, he yells loudly making his brother cry. Samir’s mother is displeased by his bad temper and resorts to a trick to help him control it. She tells him that he looks like Ghadban, a terrifying screaming rooster, when angry. Not wanting to look like Ghadban, Samir starts controlling his temper. The elaborate description of Samir’s transformation makes the story amusing and teaches children that a bad temper should be controlled. The story is authored by Salma Koraytem and illustrated by Sylvia Vivanco.

The stories are all meant to teach love, kindness, patience, honesty, and other humanistic values in the holy month, which is also a time for self-introspection and empathy with the less privileged.

A Trip Like No Other

Author Fatima Sharafeddine introduces children to the basics of Umrah through visuals that illustrate the context of the places and the procedures for performing the rituals. The book is beautifully illustrated by Hatem Fathy Aly.

All books are available on Kalimat’s website: https://kalimatgroup.ae/ar