Hannah Moushabeck only had one picture book that represented her Palestinian American identity as a child: Sitti’s Secrets by acclaimed Palestinian-Texan poet Naomi Shihab Nye (Simon & Schuster, 1994). “She paved the way for us,” Moushabeck said. “But then there was a 30-year gap in which there were so few books published about Palestine by Palestinians.”
In 2016, when Moushabeck sold Chronicle her manuscript, Homeland, an intergenerational reminiscence of the Old City of Jerusalem, she was “so determined not to be the ‘only one,’ ” and put a call out on social media. “ ‘If you’re Palestinian and interested in writing books for children, reach out to me,’ ” she wrote. “The way that you get into publishing is by knowing people and how the industry works and how to present yourself; it was because of my connections that I was able to get published. I knew that [aspiring creators] would also need similar sorts of insider information.”
Palestinians in Kidlit, a support group for established and aspiring creators, was launched in 2022. “We were all just strangers on the internet, and suddenly we were sharing our hopes and dreams,” Moushabeck said. True to her mission, she meted out information that she had gathered over the course of her 15 years in the publishing business, first as a bookseller and then at Chronicle Books, the Quarto Group, and Simon & Schuster. “I brought in agents and I came up with a custom marketing plan for Palestinian books: who are our influencers? What are the awards that we can apply for? What are the publications that will elevate Palestinian stories? Within a few months, several members had either become agented or had sold picture books directly to publishers.” The group has notched nine books and counting, Moushabeck said.
Diverse Voices
Safa Suleiman, the author of Hilwa’s Gifts (Candlewick, 2025), was inspired to write her picture book after a trip to Palestine for her brother’s wedding. She sold Hilwa’s Gifts shortly after she secured an agent, and benefited from support from Palestinians in Kidlit, she said. “I always wanted to write stories about Palestinian joy—to showcase our culture for what it is: beauty, love, resilience, magnificence. We authors and illustrators came together quickly and powerfully to celebrate our stories, uplift each other’s voices, and support one another. We really need this; it keeps us writing and raising our voices.”
Omar Abed’s stories don’t center Palestine in the same way that his peers’ books do, but they feature Palestinian American characters in what he refers to as “incidental representation,” he said. “People find their way to my social media because my stories are not explicitly ‘cultural’ and they see a ton of stuff about Palestine and my support of other Palestinian authors’ books. It’s so important to cross-promote.” The aim of Palestinians in Kidlit is to “get past the point where there’s a fear of including anything about Palestine or just being Palestinian and writing,” he added. “I think we’re getting there.”
Moushabeck is now co-owner of Interlink Publishing, a company founded by her parents in 1987 that describes itself as the only Palestinian-owned publishing house. Earlier this year, she published Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden by Jenan Matari, who is Palestinian American, and Aya Ghanameh, who grew up among the diaspora in Jordan. “Our book is the first book in the country to be written by a Palestinian, illustrated by a Palestinian, and published by a Palestinian publishing house,” Matari said. “Our stories are being told by us, instead of by people who know nothing about our struggle or our history or our joy.”
Reading List
Omar Abed, illus. by Hatem Aly (Dial, 2024)
This picture book celebrates siblings, storytelling, and collaboration and shows how another person’s input can make a project even better. “Abed’s rhyming prowess propels this sprightly picture book,” PW said in its review.
Eleven Words for Love
Randa Abdel-Fattah, illus. by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Candlewick, 2023)
In Abdel-Fattah’s (Does My Head Look Big in This?) picture book, a Palestinian family in exile explores family, loyalty, and friendship through the lens of 11 Arabic expressions for love.
Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden
Jenan Matari, illus. by Aya Ghanameh (Interlink, 2025)
This “tender, yearning work,” per PW’s review, follows a Palestinian American girl who helps her grandfather tend his garden in this “quietly affirming rhyming family story.”
Safa Suleiman, illus. by Anait Semirdzhyan (Candlewick, 2025)
In the story, Ali visits his family in Palestine during the olive harvest and learns about the many gifts that his favorite tree offers. This tale of discovering one’s heritage “highlights olive trees’ enduring role in Palestinian culture,” PW wrote in its review.
Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine
Hannah Moushabeck, illus. by Reem Madooh (Chronicle, 2023)
At bedtime, a father tells his trio of daughters the story of visiting his grandparents and of his last day in the Old City of Jerusalem. PW wrote: “The title’s emotionally layered conclusion offers a strong jumping-off point for further discussion.”
A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search for Home
Maysa Odeh, illus. by Aliaa Betawi (Holt, 2024)
After Falastreen’s teacher asks students to point out where they’re from on a map and she cannot locate Palestine, the members of her close-knit family take turns answering her big questions with humor, courage, and a lot of heart. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Aya Ghanameh (Viking, 2023)
When Oraib and her Palestinian family must flee a refugee camp due to a looming war, Oraib worries about the future of the olive trees she tends to and resolves to ensure that they endure. “Bittersweet in both words and images, this moving debut conveys one girl’s powerful attempt to secure her family’s legacy despite uncertainty,” writes PW.
For more titles, including independently published picture books, nonfiction books, and books for older readers, visit Books for Palestine at Bookshop.org.
