Currently the world events should be causing us all weltschmerz (thank you to the word of the day at our morning meeting). It means “world pain” (or a feeling of sadness about the state of the world. Melancholy or world weariness). And I am naive enough to believe that if we start reading about the people involved, it can show us how we are not different from each other, but how our similarities should be bringing us together.
Like P Is for Palestine : A Palestine Alphabet Book by Golbarg Bashi and illustrated by Golrokh Nafisi (which is due early September 2024). I had the opportunity to read via an online reader copy, as well as Jane Yolen’s (also due early September 2024), The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah (illustrated by Felishia Henditirto). Both books show us how we can have differences, but we are more alike than we might think.
Bashi’s book is a clever way of mixing the Palestinian culture with the Western alphabet. Each page (from A to Z) shows a concept, object, events or thing a Palestinian child would have in their lives. We have similar things, act, think and feel similarity and having the contrasts bring things alive.
And Yolen praises education and how Rochel-Leah is a young girl trying to find herself, and trying to better herself. She will do whatever it takes to learn to read. Even though it is not considered a skill girls need. But she will defy the rabbi of her village, her own parents and even stand on a step ladder to see and hear what happens in the classroom. And this strength will come down to the rest of her family, as Yolen is a descendant. Both books have an illustrated style that fits the mood of things. The Palestine Alphabet is quirky and young. Things are colorful and they are a bit of a combination of busy and just enough without being overwhelming. And Rochel-Leah is more realistic, with a folktale attitude. The colors are earthy, bright and detailed so you see the people, the place and the things our young heroine is part of.
