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Aya Khalil: Hello and salam! Thank you for letting me interview for Kidlit in Color. I am a huge fan of your books so I'm excited to interview you. Can you briefly tell our readers about yourself and your books?

Ashley Franklin: Wa Salaam, Aya. That’s so sweet of you! The feeling is definitely mutual. 

I’m a mom of two and an adjunct college professor. My life is simple. I write. I teach. I mom. 

I write books featuring kids with big hearts and even bigger imaginations. In all my picture books (from Not Quite Snow White to The Masjid Kamal Loves), I try to showcase children experiencing joy as a part of their everyday lives. 

AK: The Masjid Kamal Loves releases soon! I love the rhythmic list of things that Kamal loves at the masjid. It reminds me of my kids and the joy they feel at the masjid. How did you come up with this idea, was it inspired by anything from your life?

AF: This idea was inspired by my desire to do something completely different from my typical writing style. Honestly, my picture books tend to run long, so I wanted to challenge myself as far as word count and structure.

The first thing I did was decide on the structure. I know how big of a part nostalgia can play in our enjoyment of things. I vividly remember “The House that Jack Built” from my younger years, and its formulaic nature hasn’t gone out of style.

It was also a fun and productive way to settle my nerves. I basically wrote the first draft on a flight to Florida to shoot the Scholastic trailer for Not Quite Snow White. Being on camera is not my comfort zone (believe it or not), so it was a healthy distraction.

AK: Not only did I love your words, but the illustrations by Aaliya are so cute and hilarious! I love the spread of one of the boys rolling another boy in the masjid carpet (so real)! What is your favorite spread? 

AF: No way am I going to answer that. That’s like picking your favorite child! Some things you just don’t do. But, I will say that the spreads that are close to my heart are the ones where Aaliya lovingly included my kids. 

AK: Ha! That's true. I need to know which spreads she included your kids! What do you hope readers will learn or feel after reading this book?

AF: I hope readers can’t resist smiling at The Masjid Kamal Loves. I hope this book helps them to recognize the joy that a masjid can bring into a child’s life. I hope it makes them think of a place that is special to them and brings them the same type of joy.

AK: Can you tell readers the process of how this picture book sold and the timeline of you writing it? Did it sell fast? Did it take long to write it?

AF: During the plane ride that I mentioned earlier, I pretty much started and finished the draft then. Not much changed from those handwritten notes to the final version. It took me the longest to write the introduction and conclusion. They were added later to give the text additional framework.  

The book sold quickly. It went to auction, so that was a very new experience for me. 

The longest part wasn’t writing it. It was finding the perfect illustrator. If I remember correctly, that took around a year or so. 

AK: Wow, a whole year! Well it was worth the wait!  Is there anything else you can tell us about what you're working on or upcoming books?

AF: Right now, I’m drafting a novel in verse. I also have a few picture books coming up:
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, illustrated by Bea Jackson (August 1, 2023)
Xavier’s Voice, illustrated by Tatiana Gardel (Fall 2023)
Our Favorite Day of the Week, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell (Fall 2024)

AK: Is there anything else you want readers to know about you and your books? 

AF: I hope readers know that I appreciate their support, whether it’s through buying a book, making library requests, writing reviews, or showing some love on social media.
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AK: And just for fun, tell us a fun fact about yourself! 

AF: I like to juggle. I’m not very good at it, but I still like trying. It keeps me humble, lol.

AK: 😂😂 Please show me the next time we see each other. And juggle with your books. 

Find Ashley here: 
Twitter:@differentashley
Website: www.ashleyfranklinwrites.com
Facebook: Ashley Franklin
Instagram: @ashleyfranklinwrites
Order her book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Masjid-Kamal-Loves/Ashley-Franklin/9781534499836 

A Juneteenth Conversation

With Tonya Abari and Alliah L. Agostini

     Are you looking for children's books about Juneteenth? Be sure to check out two titles from our very own Alliah L. Agostini, illus. by Sawyer Cloud (The Juneteenth Story) and Tonya Abari, illus. by Tabitha Brown (Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth). We sat down with these authors in a brief conversation about commemorating Juneteenth.

1. How did learning (or not learning) about Juneteenth as a child impact your knowledge of this history as an adult?

AA: I’ve always known about Juneteenth because my Buffalo, NY community has long celebrated it- but my knowledge of the depth of the history behind it and its evolution is something that eluded me until I started research for The Juneteenth Story. Juneteenth was never discussed in any of my history curriculums from elementary through graduate school. 

TA: I did not learn about Juneteenth until my early twenties. That’s right. All of public K-12 and undergrad, and not a single mention of Juneteenth (*shaking my head emoji*). It wasn’t until a chance trip to Houston that I gained knowledge of Juneteenth by witnessing several local celebrations. I quickly began researching and knew that I’d devote more time incorporating additional education for myself and my (at the time) future family. 

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2. What Juneteenth traditions do you have/have you started with your own family?

AA: My grandfather helped start the Juneteenth Festival in Buffalo, NY in 1976, so I grew up going to and even helping out with the festival. It was celebrated annually in Martin Luther King Jr. Park on the east side of Buffalo, and it was huge - it has been touted as the third-largest Juneteenth festival in the world. 

I fondly remember going to the festivals, watching the parades, and gorging on barbecue chicken, hot dogs, and sno-cones. After I left Buffalo for college, I remember not being able to find any large festivals in the other cities where I lived after, and I realized how special our celebration truly was. Now that the holiday has broader awareness, I’ve enjoyed barbecuing, blasting my Juneteenth playlist, making crafts, and going to local festivals with my family.

TA: Since we didn’t celebrate Juneteenth growing up, I’m the official tradition starter for my family. We begin the day with reflection and education — reading books, watching documentaries, whatever we can get our hands on. This year, we are participating in a walking tour where we’ll get to know more about Nashville’s Black history. 

My oldest selects a Juneteenth recipe and we make it as a family with our midday tea (my husband is Nigerian, so jollof has made its way to every celebration including Juneteenth, ha!). In the past decade, we’ve attended citywide celebrations, barbecues, and enjoyed a nice spread at home. One of these years I’d like to make it back to a rodeo, just like the one I saw in Texas in my 20s. ​

3. What is your favorite dish associated with Juneteenth? 

AA: Red sno-cones!! I love their crunchy, sweet, icy goodness. I occasionally even helped sell sno-cones at our festival, so they are very nostalgic to me.

TA: Hibiscus tea is a favorite in our household. The flower is bright red, flavorful, and native to Africa. The formerly enslaved also incorporated this tea in the first Juneteenth celebrations. We like to remix the teas, adding peppermint or lavender — and the tiny humans dress up for our “Noonteenth” tea parties (Alliah, can you dig the mashup?). 

AA: Noonteenth?! I LOVE IT!

4. What do you most enjoy about Juneteenth celebrations beyond food?

AA: The vibe. The many sights, sounds, feels and smells of Juneteenth create a sensorial vibe like no other. From the multi-colored Afrocentric clothing worn by attendees and sold by vendors, to the many hair textures and styles, to the smell of barbeque smoke and incense, to the bass coming from speakers and shouts of drill teams and other paraders, there’s nothing like it.

TA: The keeping of our history is so important. Through these traditions, we celebrate and live in our joy. We have endured unimaginable circumstances, and still we thrive. It’s beautiful to see folks coming together to honor that.

5. What have you found most eye-opening in your conversations with others about Juneteenth since it became a national holiday? 

AA: I’ve found the sense of guilt that so many people, especially African-American people, have about not knowing about the holiday, to be really sobering. So many of us feel almost deceived and willfully undereducated, but the reality is this lack of knowledge is the direct consequence of curricula that excluded so much of our [Black] history. 

It’s not our fault- we didn’t know what we didn’t know! But now that we do know, we can use this as an opportunity to right these wrongs and teach ourselves and the next generation, and fight for continued access to books and curricula that tell our story- even when certain forces *a-hem* attempt to suppress access.

TA: I have to admit that I felt so guilty for not knowing about Juneteenth. And an even bigger secret is that I felt guilty writing a board book about it knowing that I did not commemorate Juneteenth until adulthood. But upon deep reflection, I knew I wanted to write a book that introduced babies and toddlers to the significance of Juneteenth — the same way that I was introduced to it. 

You’re absolutely right. I felt deceived! But the untold and undertold [Black] history is not my fault. And now that I know better, I’m certainly doing better. 

6. As the holiday becomes less ‘novel’, what message do you hope remains in the mind of those who celebrate?

AA: I hope people continue to keep the roots of Juneteenth at the forefront. This holiday celebrates the delayed emancipation of generations of enslaved African-descended people, the people who toiled and built this country under a brutal, racist, inhumane system. Holidays tend to be diluted, commercialized, and generalized with time. Let us not forget who and what is at the core of this celebration.

TA: You took the words right out of my mouth, Alliah. To add, I just saw a post online from a banner in SC that advertised Juneteenth with non-Black folks at the center and er um…no, no, no. It’s also cool that big corporations like Walmart now carry Juneteenth merch, but it’s important to remember to support Black-owned businesses, especially on Juneteenth. I’ll repeat: Let us not forget who and what is at the core of this celebration.

AA: Amen!​

   Library day was a big deal in my family when I was a kid. We’d walk in with empty paper bags from the grocery store, I’d fill them up in the children’s section, and then carefully carry them out so they wouldn’t tear from the weight. I still remember how amazing it was to go home feeling rich in unread stories.

   I loaded those bags with all sorts of books, but my favorites were by Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, like so many of my peers. Back in my room, I’d spend countless hours absorbed in the lives of their characters, wishing that I was friends with them, playing the same games, living in their neighborhoods, and going to their schools. Their daily struggles and challenges became my own, along with their triumphs and victories. I savored the moments that I was transported into their worlds before I was jolted back into my own.
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    It wasn’t that my life was terrible in any way. It just felt so . . . ordinary. Even as a Pakistani-American Muslim child of immigrants growing up in a diverse suburb of Washington, DC, who felt different than those around me, I considered myself far from special. My life was divided between school friends, neighborhood friends, and family friends, with little overlap. I didn’t vacation much, go to sleep away camp, have a dog, take piano lessons, or any of the other things that seemed to make other kids’ lives more exciting than mine. Instead, I played make-believe games about running away, built forts, had a toolshed converted into a playhouse, and painted pet rocks when I wasn’t reading. I also ate kofta and roti for dinner, heard Urdu news playing on the television, and went to the Islamic center on the weekends.
    As a child writer (which I was, although I never dared to call myself that!) I filled pages with tales about pirates, intergalactic adventures, knights and castles, and stories inspired by popular television shows involving superheroes and stunt actors. I didn’t write about my own life, my neighborhood, or the things that made up my unexciting days in my unexceptional life. And the idea of writing about my family? No way! Who would be able to relate to my experiences? Who would understand the way my family worked, along with our traditions, foods, language and more? We weren’t like the families of Ramona or Margaret, or the other kids I read about.
    Coming from that mindset, it still amazes me that all these years later I’m writing about a Pakistani American Muslim girl in my Zara’s Rules series. The books mostly take place in her home and neighborhood, with a diverse group of neighbors based on my own, and an extended family inspired by mine. But what I understand now as an adult is that what we see as small or mundane moments now, feel a lot bigger when you’re a kid, and that there is so much beauty, fun, discovery, and growing in those daily struggles and victories I adored reading about when I was younger—and love to write about now.

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    When I started my children’s writing career over twenty years ago, beginning as a writer-for-hire for various series, then making my way over to trade publishing and starting with picture books, I still couldn’t let myself dream that I would ever write something like Zara’s Rules. It’s a series that celebrates being a kid, creativity, and friendship. It’s all about antics: trying to break a Guinness World Record, creating a wagon-based business to earn needed funds, saving a staycation by turning into a camp, and more. There are failures and triumphs, all on a kid-sized scale. 
    But it’s also about an ordinary girl like me and my kids. A girl who goes on bike rides, plays kickball, and watches her little brother, and also hears Urdu, eats paratha, and celebrates Eid. She is relatable and charming in every way because of who she is, not in spite of it.
    I owe a tremendous debt to Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, for teaching me that the lives of ordinary girls are fascinating to other kids, and for showing me that families and friendship can be messy and complicated but no less wonderful. I didn’t need for the characters I read about to be exactly like me in order to wish I was their friend, I just needed them to feel real. And it brings me endless joy to know that readers are connecting with my Zara and wishing they lived on her street as they get to escape into her world for a little while, one book at a time.

Hena Khan is a Pakistani American writer. She is the author of the middle grade novels Amina’s Voice, Amina’s Song, More to the Story, Drawing Deena, and the Zara’s Rules series and picture books Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, and It’s Ramadan, Curious George, among others. Hena lives in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland, with her family. You can learn more about Hena and her books by visiting her website at HenaKhan.com or connecting with her @HenaKhanBooks.

Headshot photo credit: Havar Espedal

Aya Khalil: Hello and salam! I am SO thrilled to interview you today for Kidlit in Color's blog. I read an advanced copy of Salat in Secret, and wow! What a stunning picture book. Can you briefly tell readers what your newest picture book is about in your own words? 

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow: Wa Salaam Aya and thank you so much! Salat in Secret is the story of Muhammad who receives a salat/prayer rug on his seventh birthday, the age when young Muslims are encouraged to observe their five daily prayers. He wants to observe all of his salat prayers on time. However, one occurs during the school day and he’s too shy to ask for a place to pray.
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AK: I love this book for so many reasons. First, my son is seven years old and his name is Muhammad! Reading this reminded me so much of him. It also reminded me of my younger self. There were many times growing up where I would feel embarrassed of praying in public. But my parents always did. In fact, I remember one time my dad prayed in a coat closet at a restaurant and the police were called. Something similar happens in this book, would you like to explain to readers a little about why you put that part, and also the mean lady (we're all familiar with her) who presumably called them?

JTB: The police scene in the book occurs when Muhammad’s dad is praying on the sidewalk and a woman calls police officers over. The police stand and watch and it is a scary scene for both  Muhammad and his dad. It’s loosely based on something my father told me about when he was working as an ice cream man. Another ice cream man, an Iraqi immigrant, got out and prayed on the sidewalk in the middle of his work day and police were called on him. They watched and threatened him and then questioned him afterward. The man was crying when he told my father this story and he kept repeating “why” because he couldn’t make sense of it. I included this scene because part of the fear of making our obligatory prayers is the criminalization of Muslims and our faith. This is always in the background for us. Muhammad’s fears about asking about salat aren’t unfounded. There are always people like the “mean lady” in the book who see our very existence as needing policing. It takes a real act of bravery to pray anyway.

AK: Hatem Aly does it again with his stunning illustrations! What is your favorite spread or page? For me, that sunset spread with the ice cream truck took my breath away. 

JTB: Honestly, that sunset spread is such a brilliant work of art that I have to agree with you. It’s my fave! I love that and so many of the elements that Hatem brings to the work. I am particularly enamored with the salat rug end papers because they are so intricate and beautiful and I enjoy the way they open up like actual rugs.

AK: What do you hope kids who are Muslims take away from this book? What about kids and adults of other faiths?

JTB: I hope Muslim kids feel seen and that they learn that they are entitled to ask for what they need to practice their faith. Kids should know their voices are powerful even when their voices shake. Speaking up is bravery. I’m hoping that readers of other faiths (or no faith) see that too. That they can and should ask for what they need to be comfortable in the school space and to be empathetic when others are voicing needs that may be unfamiliar to them too.

AK: You dedicated this book to your Dad (Allah yerhamo). Is there a reason for this, was he an inspiration while writing this book? 
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JTB: Ameen, thank you. I was inspired to write this book a few weeks after my father passed away. While I was processing my emotions of grief, I also found myself feeling a profound sense of gratitude that I had had a father like him to grieve. I looked back and thought about his life and the many joyful memories I shared with him. I was a true daddy’s girl and I remembered the fun we had working on his ice cream truck and the way we would stop and find places to pray. I remembered how proud and unapologetic he was as a Muslim, and I thought about how much that impacted my sense of self. I wanted to put a father like that into a book. Meanwhile, my youngest child was turning seven. I was thinking about what gifts to get him, and a salat rug occurred to me because of the spiritual importance of his age. I thought about how excited my father would have been if he could see that, and I had this story.

Photo Credit:: Michael E. Gray
AK: How long did it take for you to write this? It also was preempted! Do you want to talk a little about that for those unfamiliar with a pre-empt?

JTB: This may be the fastest I’ve ever written a picture book. I wrote a first draft in one sitting. Once I had the story it was itching to get out and I couldn’t do anything else. It just flowed out of me and my pen had to keep up. After a couple of weeks of working on it, I felt it was ready for critiques and then my agent submitted it to multiple editors. It was then preempted by Ann Kelley at Random House Studio within days. A preempt is when an editor basically takes a book off the table for other editors, but they have to do this quickly – before other editors have a chance to make an offer. If an editor wants a book badly enough and thinks there might be competition, they can offer a deal strong enough to convince an agent and author to not let other editors offer on it and prevent a possible auction.

AK: After you announced this book, I remember someone asked his followers where was the most interesting place everyone has prayed at. I have prayed at college staircases and changing rooms. How about you and your family? 

JTB: Probably the funniest place was during our family vacation last year. We found a patch of grass near a body of water in a parking lot at Disney World. It was kind of secluded so we thought we’d found a good spot. My husband was beginning to lead and I turned around and noticed there were signs behind us saying to beware of alligators. I hollered and we bolted out of there. 

AK: 😂😂 That is hilarious. I recently read your newly released middle grade, Grounded, that you co-wrote with three incredible authors. I absolutely love it. Not only was it hilarious (I read it on the airplane and was giggling so hard), but the friendship theme is so great. What was it like co-writing a book and what was your favorite part about writing it? 

JTB: Co-writing was such a nice break from the usually solitary work of writing. We were constantly sharing new ideas and surprising each other with funny things to add. More importantly for me, it helped build up my confidence as an MG writer because this is a relatively new genre for me. The positive and almost-instant feedback made this project incredibly special as a developing MG writer.

 AK: Any tips for aspiring authors?

JTB: Yes, read, read, read your genre. Then, read some more.Books are the best class you’ll ever take. The other is to not back down from telling the story you want to tell. Be unapologetically you in your books.
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AK: Where can readers find you and your books? 
Please follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jtbigelow and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjamilah/ 
And visit my website: https://jamilahthewriter.com

​Hello and Salaam, Aisha! I am so excited to be interviewing you today for KidLit in Color's blog. I'm sure many are familiar with you and your work, but can you briefly tell our readers a little about yourself and your books: 
 
Walaikumsalaam, Aya! I’m delighted to connect with you. I write books for young people of all ages including  Amal Unbound, and Bilal Cooks Daal. I’m also a proud founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books.  
 
I absolutely loved your picture book Bilal Cooks Daal (fun fact, I used it as a comp for my picture book, The Night Before Eid). The Together Tree is definitely a bit more different and more serious. I know you touch on it a little in your backmatter, but can you tell readers why you wrote it? 
 

​I’m delighted to hear that Bilal Cooks Daal was a comp for The Night Before Eid! My picture books are inspired by my children and our lived experiences. Bilal Cooks Daal was inspired by my middle son who was surprised when no one in his preschool knew what daal was. The Together Tree is also a story inspired by one of my children though his situation was considerably more challenging. During his first week of kindergarten, my eldest son was bullied by his peers. The Together Tree explores what it is to experience bullying, and importantly, what someone can do if they happen to be a bystander to help the person who needs such help. In addition to being a story about the power of bystanders, The Together Tree is also a tale about the power of imagination to build community.
 
The Together Tree also reminded me of my debut picture book, The Arabic Quilt, in terms of getting bullied for the way they look or speak. In both books, the "mean kid" feels bad for what they did and is apologetic. I've heard some conflicting points of view about this. Why did you think it was important that the mean kid apologize to Rumi for his actions in The Together Tree?
 
That’s a great question! I think that both situations (where a bully does not apologize or learn, and where a bully does mend their ways) are realistic and happen every single day. I love Jacqueline Woodson’s picture book Each Kindness which examines how sometimes we don’t get to make amends with those we’ve hurt. Stories like those are very important. I chose to write a story about reconciliation in part because the children in The Together Tree are very young and because while it is a story about many things, it’s also a story about the power of forgiveness. We might make mistakes. We might do the wrong thing. But we always have the choice to rectify, and get back on track. 
 
Do you have any tips for aspiring authors or new authors? 
 
I often get asked where I get my story ideas from. As I shared in one of my earlier answers, much of what I write is inspired by my own lived experiences. So often we discount our own lives as sources for stories, but there is so much that can be examined and explored. One should never discount the power of ones own lived stories!
 
What did you think of the illustrations, do you have a favorite spread?
 
LeUyen Pham is one of my absolute favorite illustrators. When we began to consider who might illustrate this book, she was my dream partner for this project. I am so grateful for her insights and creativity that brough the story to life. My favorite spread is further into the story, when Asher—the bully—does an unthinkable act of cruelty. LeUyen captures the emotion of that moment for both the bully and Rumi, the child who is being bullied, so vividly through her use of color and lack thereof. It is a profound spread. 
 
What's the biggest takeaway you want for readers to have after they finish reading this book? 
 
It is my dream that this story can be part of first week of school activities in order to build community and foster a warm learning environment.
 
I’m delighted to hear that Bilal Cooks Daal was a comp for The Night Before Eid! My picture books are inspired by my children and our lived experiences. Bilal Cooks Daal was inspired by my middle son who was surprised when no one in his preschool knew what daal was. The Together Tree is also a story inspired by one of my children though his situation was considerably more challenging. During his first week of kindergarten, my eldest son was bullied by his peers. The Together Tree explores what it is to experience bullying, and importantly, what someone can do if they happen to be a bystander to help the person who needs such help. In addition to being a story about the power of bystanders, The Together Tree is also a tale about the power of imagination to build community.
 
The Together Tree also reminded me of my debut picture book, The Arabic Quilt, in terms of getting bullied for the way they look or speak. In both books, the "mean kid" feels bad for what they did and is apologetic. I've heard some conflicting points of view about this. Why did you think it was important that the mean kid apologize to Rumi for his actions in The Together Tree?
 
That’s a great question! I think that both situations (where a bully does not apologize or learn, and where a bully does mend their ways) are realistic and happen every single day. I love Jacqueline Woodson’s picture book Each Kindness which examines how sometimes we don’t get to make amends with those we’ve hurt. Stories like those are very important. I chose to write a story about reconciliation in part because the children in The Together Tree are very young and because while it is a story about many things, it’s also a story about the power of forgiveness. We might make mistakes. We might do the wrong thing. But we always have the choice to rectify, and get back on track. 
 
Do you have any tips for aspiring authors or new authors? 
 
I often get asked where I get my story ideas from. As I shared in one of my earlier answers, much of what I write is inspired by my own lived experiences. So often we discount our own lives as sources for stories, but there is so much that can be examined and explored. One should never discount the power of ones own lived stories!
 
What did you think of the illustrations, do you have a favorite spread?
 
LeUyen Pham is one of my absolute favorite illustrators. When we began to consider who might illustrate this book, she was my dream partner for this project. I am so grateful for her insights and creativity that brough the story to life. My favorite spread is further into the story, when Asher—the bully—does an unthinkable act of cruelty. LeUyen captures the emotion of that moment for both the bully and Rumi, the child who is being bullied, so vividly through her use of color and lack thereof. It is a profound spread. 
 
What's the biggest takeaway you want for readers to have after they finish reading this book? 
 
It is my dream that this story can be part of first week of school activities in order to build community and foster a warm learning environment.
 
Aisha Saeed is the author of Written in the Stars, which was listed as a Best Book of 2015 by Bank Street Books, a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and named one of the Top Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read in 2016. She is also the author of the middle grade novel Amal Unbound, which has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews and is a Global Read Aloud for 2018. Her other picture books include Bilal Cooks Daal and The Together Tree. Aisha is a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. She has been featured on MTV, HuffPost, NBC, and the BBC, and her writings have appeared in publications including the journal ALAN and the Orlando Sentinel.​

Growing up celebrating Eid as an Arab American in the 1990s vs. today
Aya Khalil 

1996. Third grade. Minot, North Dakota. December. It was Christmas season and everyone was buzzing about what gifts they asked Santa for. Christmas books were read. The classroom was decorated with dazzling lights. My friends told me Santa is real and one of my friends even swore she saw him in the sky. I was the only Muslim in the class. In fact me and my brother were the only Muslims in the entire school in the small town. Ramadan wasn’t until January and Eid was a month after that. But it was fine because we were excited for the three weeks of winter break and all the yummy treats our friends and neighbors would share. 

1999. Lima, Ohio. 6th grade. December. It was Ramadan too! My brother and I and one other girl were the only Muslims. We fasted and our classmates wondered why we weren’t eating while they wondered what they were getting for Christmas this year. A Sega Dreamcast? A nanopet? We were looking forward to the three weeks off, most of it during Ramadan and wait until Eid where our parents would take us to a small rented building the twenty Muslims in town went to pray Juma’a and held Eid prayer. We would receive our Eidiya, our Eid money, eat my mom’s delicious ka’ak el Eid, flaky buttery cookies topped with powdered sugar. We would share them with our lovely Indian neighbors and they would exchange their delicious gulab jamun with us throughout the year. 

2001. Ohio and Cairo. Ninth grade. Phew. We were now in an Islamic School and everyone at school celebrated Eid and Ramadan. Late night taraweeh at the masjid with my schoolmates, halaqas at my house and my friends’ house on Friday nights. We would host fabulous Eid brunches at our house.This year would be extra cool because we would spend Eid and the last few days of Ramadan in Egypt since was during winter break and it was magical. We stayed up until morning Eid prayer with my cousins. Streets were adorned with Ramadan and Eid decoration. Lots of lights! And so many lanterns, fawanees, everywhere. 
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2012.  Charleston, South Carolina. December. My first was born. Eid wasn’t until August so we had plenty of time to prepare for her first Eid. Eid came in August, and we dressed her up in the cutest Eid dress. We went back home to Ohio for Eid to celebrate with the family. We all dressed in our best, and put up Eid lights at home. We even got my daughter a onesie that said My First Eid. I never had that when I was young. There was even an Eid book out, published in 2007. Not bad! I’m sure there will be more as my daughter gets older.

2015. Ohio. June. My second was born. And Eid was next month! My first born daughter was 2.5 and was going to preschool. We made goody bags for her classmates and I was asked to come talk about Ramadan and Eid and read an Eid book! I found one or two Eid books. Not bad. But they were either a bit difficult to find at the library and local book store or written by…people who weren’t Muslim?  It’s okay, I’m sure there will be more as my kids get older. 

2015-2019. Ohio. My third was born in 2019. We went all out on Eid for the kids. We put lights inside the house (and outside!), decorated the house with lanterns, baked, decorated cookies, shared with our friends and neighbors. As my kids entered grade school, I was asked to come in talk about Eid/Ramadan and even read some books. A few books about Ramadan were being published, but there were still barely any Eid books. It’s OK though because there were lots of other fun Eid and Ramadan things we didn’t have when we were young: personalized pajamas, modern yet traditional Eid decor, LED lights, Eid cards. My friends and I even collaborated with the local library and planned Ramadan and Eid events. It was the best. My kids were excited for Eid. 

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2023.  The Night Before Eid was sold a few weeks after. It was released just last month. It’s been mentioned in The Washington Post, USA Today, Associated Press and more. Target stores nationwide bought a few thousand copies for their store and I will never forget the first time I went in the store and found it there. Finally, our stories are being recognized. Finally, our Arab traditions are celebrated. Finally, our food and language are normalized. 

I needed this book growing up as an Arab Muslim in America, and I hope kids will embrace this story filled with intergenerational love, baking, and the magic of Eid. Although there are a few Eid books out there or coming out, there’s still work to be done. From a 2019 research, only 1.2 percent of books, 45 books, had some type of Muslim diversity. There’s a lot of work to do, and we are still underrepresented in children’s literature, but the talent amongst Arabs in America is incredible. We just need more publishers and editors to welcome us and believe in our stories. 

This blog post is part of the #30DaysArabVoices Blog Series, a month-long movement to feature Arab voices as writers and scholars. Please CLICK HERE to read yesterday’s blog post by Sahar Mustafah (and be sure to check out the link at the end of each post to catch up on the rest of the blog series).

​You can find out more about Aya's books here. 

Photo credit for head shot: Feda Eid 

We are so excited to share this interview today with Hannah Moushabeck. Our member Aya Khalil interviews her about her newest book, Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine. 

AK: Hi Hannah! I am so  excited to be interviewing for Kidlit in Color's blog. Could you please briefly tell the readers about yourself? 

HM: My name is Hannah Moushabeck. I am an author, editor, and book marketer. I was raised in a family of publishers and booksellers in Western Massachusetts and England. Born into Interlink Publishing, a family-run independent publishing house, I learned the power of literature at a young age. My first book Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine (Chronicle Books, March 2023) goes on sale on March 28th, 2023. 

AK: Your debut picture book, Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine is an absolutely stunning picture book that is filled with so many layers like intergenerational relationships, family, delicious food, hope and freedom. Why did you write this picture book with these important topics?

HM: The displacement of families is tragically not an uncommon practice in our global history. People from around the world are being displaced from their homelands through war, climate disasters and unrest, unable to return, with devastating results. While this book is a love letter to my homeland, I hope it sparks curiosity and will inspire readers to learn more about displaced populations. I also hope that the book will give Palestinian readers a feeling of pride in their culture and homeland, as I do, offering them an alternative to the negative stereotypes portrayed in popular media. 
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AK: The author's note was very moving. You mentioned the 1948 Al-Nakba, or the catastrophe. Would you be willing to tell the readers what this is and why it is important to write about it in the author's note? 

HM: For generations my family lived in the Katamon neighborhood in West Jerusalem, until May 15, 1948, the day Palestinians call Al-Nakba (the catastrophe). 

Al-Nakba refers to the displacement and ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Palestinians from their ancestral homeland. May 15th, 1948 was the day the State of Israel came into being and began the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. The Nakba, however, never ended, as Palestinians continue to be forced to leave as their homes are destroyed and their freedoms are limited. 

On this day all my relatives, after being warned of danger, packed small bags, locked their doors, took sanctuary in the Old City of Jerusalem. They were never allowed to return to their homes and, to this day, carry with them the keys to their houses, now occupied by others. 

There is so much misinformation about Palestine. I wanted to provide a first-person account of my family’s lived-experience as a testimony to our existence and the existence of all Palestinians living in the diaspora.

AK: Thank you for sharing your family's experiences. The illustrations are absolutely stunning. I especially loved the food and kitchen illustrations!  What did you think of Reem's illustrations and what was your favorite spread and why? 

HM: I am deeply in love with Reem’s illustrations! We worked so closely, and she was able to capture so many incredible things from the photos and stories that were shared with her. The muted tones and soft lines take the reader back in time whilst giving the story an ethereal, fairytale-like quality. My favorite spread has to be the illustration of the girls dreaming of their homeland. The artwork brings tears to my eyes, as we see the girls interacting with characters from their fathers’ stories. It offers the reader a glimpse of what life would be like, had my family never been displaced. It shows that even if you cannot return to somewhere in reality, it still lives on in stories and your imagination. 

Photo credit: Shanaz Dean

AK: Tell us a little about your author journey. Something authors of color and I talk about, and especially my Arab author friends, are the challenges we face to get our work published. How was your journey like? How long did it take for you to find a home for your beautiful words? 


HM: My author journey is not a typical one. Having worked in the publishing industry for many years, I have built close friendships with editors, agents, and other authors. When the manuscript of my book was finished, I sent it to my friend, Ariel Richardson (a talented editor at Chronicle Books) for advice. She called the next day and told me she wanted to acquire it. My picture book will one of only a handful of traditionally published picture books about Palestine (written by a Palestinian) since Sitti’s Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye was published in 1994. 

There are many challenges for Arab authors. According to the Diversity Baseline Survey by Lee & Low, less than one percent of all books published in the US are by folks of Middle Eastern decent while the population of Middle Eastern immigrants living in the United States is four times that number! Like for many other marginalized populations that path to publishing is much steeper. 

 Nora Lester Murad, author of Ida in the Middle, noted in a recent article for School Library Journal that “What I’m finding in my research about censorship of Palestinians is concerning. Although advocates of intellectual freedom, freedom to teach and the right to learn stand up (appropriately so!) for books about Black, brown and queer communities, the intense, multilayered censorship of Palestinians goes virtually unchallenged – and, in fact, unnoticed. Simply put, Palestinians and their literature are invisible to organizations like the American Library Association, National Coalition Against Censorship, and the National Council of Teachers of English, among others.” 

Last year, in an effort to offer my publishing knowledge and support to Palestinian writers, I started Palestinians in Kidslit, a group of Palestinian Americans and Canadians who write for children. I am so excited to share that many members have book deals at major publishers coming out in the next few years. 
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AK: Wow, I love that the editor called you right away to acquire it! I absolutely love all the details and symbolism throughout, like the musical instruments, the the tarboosh, the keffiyah, Umm Koulthoum (I have her in my picture book too!), the key and the pigeons. Why as it important to have these throughout and what does it mean to you and Palestinian readers? Is there anything you would like to elaborate on more for readers who may not be familiar? 

HM: When writing this book, I had two goals in mind. The first was for Palestinian readers to feel seen and proud. Proud of our history, our culture, and our art. Including details that Palestinians would recognize was an important part of this representation. The second goal was for this book to serve as a window into Palestinian culture for non-Arabs. True authentic representation is in the details! 

One example of this is the symbol of the key. Palestinians living in exile have used the key as a symbol for the “right to return,” which is a movement that would allow Indigenous Palestinians the freedom to return to their homeland. Many Palestinians still have the keys to their houses, like my family. Keys also represent an opening or unlocking, which feels particularly relevant to my story. As a second-generation Palestinian, I find myself constantly seeking out and learning more and more about my culture and ancestry. One of the tragedies of displaced families is that so much of what makes up your culture and identity is lost through distance, time, and assimilation. This book unlocks truths about my culture that took me many years to discover. It took years of pestering my family members for stories, recipes, and photos. I am still unlocking new wonderful parts of my culture—even now as an adult.

AK: That's so beautiful. I know readers will love it and Palestinians will be so proud of their culture and history. Where can readers find you and purchase/pre-order your picture book? 
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At their local independent bookstore of course! If folks would like signed copies, they can order them at these bookstores.

Photo credit for photo below: Shanaz Dean