This 58 page rhyming picture book weaves together a tale of a little boy and his lost soccer ball, with larger issues of community, oppression, and perspective for the youngest of readers to older children too.  I am noted to be skeptical of rhyming books, but the large font, the sweeping pictures, and the dropping of occupation, struggle, and resilience really make this book a treat. Add in discussion questions and an author’s note and you have a solid book that deserves space on home, library, and classroom shelves.  My only wish, was that the book was hardback.  The horizontal layout with a soft cover make the book difficult to read during story times as the pages flop back.  The book is long, but the text on most spreads is minimal and while I could not identify the author’s religious identity, their are numerous hijab wearing #muslimsintheillustrations as Salim journey’s around his neighborhood and into his grand father’s memories.

Salim wakes up, brushes his teeth, and is out the door to play soccer with his best friend Qusai, but the ball goes flying and Salim can’t find it. He starts walking down the hill and it seems to have disappeared.

He asks the fisherman, Abu Zaid, if he has seen it, and he hasn’t, but he offers to help.  They then go and ask the seamstress, she hasn’t either, but she puts down her tatreez, offers reassurance, and offers to help.  As they head out they bump in to Dr. Bassam.  “‘I will help you look,’ the kindly man said. “I can fix broken bones with very few supplies.  A lack of resources has made me clever and wise. Resilience and courage are plentiful here. We will find your ball. Salim, no need to fear.'”

The searching continues, with a small break for khanfeh, and then Qusai is found, and so is the ball.  Like so many joyful items, the barbed wire of the apartheid wall has destroyed the soccer ball. Upset, Abu Omar, calls out to Salim, and his grandpa embraces and consoles the young boy recalling a donkey with wonky ears and life on the farm.  With resilience and joy Salim heads home to a community surprise and a hopeful future inshaAllah.

The book concludes with five discussion questions that connect Salim’s experience to universal experiences of people everywhere.  It is followed by factual and personal author’s note about Palestine and the book.  

There is nothing religious aside from the hijabs worn, Dome of the Rock, Masjid al Aqsa, and Church of The Holy Sepulcher in the backgrounds of a few images.  I purchased my copy from Amazon HERE and can also be purchased through Shop Palestine HERE.