Written by: Aya Khalil
Illustrated by: Anait Semirdzhyan
The Arabic Quilt is a children's book that follows Kanzi's, a school aged girl who is from Egypt and is transitioning to a life in America. Kanzi fears of being different from the other kids at school. This is until she shares her Teita's (grandmother's) quilt the her class which sparks a class project to bring the class together and ultimate makes Kanzi comfortable not only as a student but in her own skin as a young Egyptian- American.
Meet the Author and Illustrator
Aya Khalil
Aya Khalil is from Egypt and moved to the United States at a very young age. She is an award winning author and a freelance journalist. In Feburary 2020 her book The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story took the shelves and won countless awards and honors. To find more books by Aya click her image. Check out this interview with Aya https://storytimesolidarity.com/arabic-quilt/
Anait Semirdzhyan
Anait Semirdzhyan (A-na-It Se-mir-jian) is was born in Kazakhstan and raised in Armenia but now resides in Seattle, WA where she lives with her husband and twin daughters. Although she studied Economics in school, her passion for art as taken over and now dedicates her time to illustrating children's literature. Aside from illustrating Anait enjoyed spending time with her friends and family as well as taking walks with her dog. You can check out more of Anait's work through her Instagram account @anaitsart as well as clicking on her image and learning more about Anait.
Personal Thoughts
I found The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story to be inspiring and well written story about being different and teaching others about where you come from and your culture. Kanzi is a relatable character regardless of the age of a student. At first she is hesitant to show her culture, as would any new student in a classroom, but through the encouragement of her teacher Kanzi finds herself becoming comfortable in her own skin and shares her uniqueness with her class.
This children's book reveals a resonating message that classroom beauty comes from the diversity of its students. The fact that Kanzi's teacher encouraged her to share her culture and enlighten the other students in the class allowed for the class to grow not only as individuals but as a community.
Making Connections
Children's literature like this "focus on students' interests, passions, and ideas as they engage with texts featuring critical dialogue and examination of both knowledge and the gate keepers of that knowledge." (Chapter 1, Kelly, et, al., 2023). This spotlights the importance of having books as "mirror" in a classroom library in order for children to see characters with similar upbringings and perspectives as themselves.
Incorporating literature like this one can allow students to feel that the classroom environment is a safe area to present their true selves and share what makes them different just like Kanzi shared a personal item which evolved to a class project.
Especially in the younger grades there is an emphasis on culture and family. Allowing students to share their family background with the class exposes students to other cultures and traditions. This can easily be implemented in the classroom by creating activities that encourage sharing belongings with the class that explore family tradition and culture.
Including books like The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story in a classroom library is crucial when welcoming students of different backgrounds. Not only does this literature allow students to see themselves but it also brings to light different walks of life to enlightening students who may not have similar background.
Culturally and Historically Responsive Read-Aloud (CHRRA)
Check out a sample lesson related to The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story
Additional Resources
The Day You Begin
Written by: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez
The Day You Begin shares the heartfelt message that building up the courage to share your difference is challenging but once you do so the world will open its hard to accept.
Dreamers
Written and Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales
Dreamers is a beautiful children's literature piece that informs readers about migrant families and the gift they bring to the communities that they reside.
Don't we all have dreams and aspirations?
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