To keep children entertained by a spectacular selection of Arabic literature while they are confined to their homes as the government tackles an unprecedented global health crisis, the award-winning UAE publisher, the Kalimat Group, is offering a wide list of their books for purchase online on their website www.kalimatgroup.ae.

For parents who have run out of reading options for keep their children, Kalimat, specialised in publishing Arabic books for children and the youth, is providing creative and engaging titles that will not only wean them away from electronic gadgets but also educate them about the important advances in the history of the UAE and the people responsible for them.

One of the titles, Kalimat is highlighting is the bestselling Ibn Majed, written by Fatima Sharafeddine and illustrated by Hassan Amekan. The book is suitable for children aged between 6 and 9 years, and tells the story of one of the most prominent oceanographers and astronomers in the world.

Ibn Majed is part of Kalimat’s non-fiction historical series titled Do You Know Who I am?, which includes the titles Ibn Battouta, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Sina, and shines light on the achievements and discoveries of these exceptional figures who played a critical role shaping Arab history.

Ibn Majed, the ‘Lion of the Seas’  

Ibn Majed lived in the UAE in the 15th century and learnt the art and science of oceanography at an early age. He spent his life researching and developing tools for sailing, including the compass and astrolabe. He also published a book on sailing, Fawa’dh fi-Usl Ilm al-Bahrwa-al-Qawaidah (The Book of the Benefits of the Principles of Seamanship).

Ibn Majed contains beautiful illustrations of Majed dressed in traditional Islamic costumes, apart from depictions of the large wooden ships of the time.

The story takes readers on a fascinating journey full of adventures and discoveries at sea and is written in an engaging narrative style. It also introduces them to inspiring Arab figures who played a significant role in the advancement of the Islamic civilization.

To date, Kalimat, an imprint of the Sharjah-based Kalimat Group, has published more than 250 titles for children and youth covering a wide range of topics, with many of them translated to foreign languages. Some of these titles have won both local and international awards. Kalimat offers a large number of books aimed at educating Arab children about the Arab and international culture and their modern challenges, in collaboration with award winning writers and illustrators from all over the world.

The publishing house won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for best publisher in 2017. It also won the Best Publisher Award for Asia at the international Bologna Children’s Book Fair, in 2016. It had been nominated for the same award in 2013 and 2014. Kalimat made it to the final nominations for excellence in the publishing industry at the London Book Fair in 2014. It also won the Arab 21 Award from the Arab Thought Foundation in 2012, and two Arab 21 awards in their third edition in 2015.

All titles published by Kalimat Group’s titles are available online at www.kalimatgroup.ae