Seven Picture Books to Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month
- Leigh Ramey
- Apr 12
- 2 min read
Arab American Heritage Month is observed in our country each year during the month of April. Founded in 2017 by the Arab American Foundation and Arab America, its purpose is to celebrate the culture and contributions of the many people living in America who hail from over 20 distinct countries that speak Arabic. The American Library Association includes many resources and book lists on its website.
Here’s our list of seven wonderful, beautifully illustrated picture books that showcase children from various countries in the Middle East, including Pakistan, Palestine, and Syria. Each story is different, but many of their experiences are the same.
This book tackles the difficult emotions of a child who is experiencing life as a refugee, then an immigrant, when she has to leave her war-torn home country of Palestine. In the simplest of terms, the author conveys the family’s love for one another and their homeland by sharing many Arabic words and expressions.
This picture book is part of a series with other concept books – counting, shapes, and opposites. The illustrations are unique, and the colors in the artwork mirror those one would find in the countries illustrated on the pages. While not a bilingual book, this series would be great for Arab Americans learning two languages, as many Arabic words are sprinkled throughout the pages.
This story introduces children to a khimar, a cape-style headscarf worn by Muslim women. It’s a story of a mother and daughter’s love for one another and shares how the young girl learns about her mother’s khimar by playing dress-up.
Bana is named after the strong tree that grows in her homeland of Syria. This is another story highlighting the experiences of many Arab Americans who are forced to flee their country as refugees and start over somewhere new. Bana’s mother instills confidence in her daughter and celebrates her strength.
Nour and her cousin, Amir, create a secret underground library after their city in Syria experiences bombings. Inspired by a true story, the back of the book lists other famous libraries in the Middle East.
A young refugee girl and her family are forced to flee their home in Pakistan as violence erupts. This is a “New Voices Award” winner from a few years ago from Lee & Low Books publishing company. This award is given to an unpublished author of color.
The author, an Olympic medalist in Fencing, wrote this story to share the experiences of a young girl who is learning to be proud of her heritage and the hijab she wears to school every day.
