Palestinian children's literature has grown significantly in the last decade, and Muslim parents are increasingly looking for books that help children understand Palestine — its people, its history, its beauty, and its loss — in age-appropriate ways. Here is what we recommend, organized by age.
Ages 3 to 6
Sitti's Olive Trees is a picture book about the olive harvesting season in Palestine, told through a grandmother sharing family stories with her granddaughter who lives in the West. It is a story about roots — literal and inherited. The olive tree is not background; it is the whole point.
Colours of Al Quds by Jenny Molendyk Divleli takes children through Jerusalem through the eyes of a child named Iman, organized around the colors that define the city. From the gold of the Dome of the Rock to the green of the olive trees, each page is a deliberate act of remembrance.
Ages 7 to 10
My Name is Bana is a picture book memoir from Bana Alabed, the seven-year-old Syrian girl whose messages from Aleppo reached millions of people. Written in her own words, it offers a child's direct perspective on what it means to lose everything and hold onto hope.
For this age group, the conversation around Palestine is often as important as the book. These titles open doors rather than close them. Read together and let children ask questions you may not have full answers to — that honesty is part of the point.
Ages 10 and Up
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed is a graphic novel about Omar and his brother growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing Somalia. It is not set in Palestine but it is one of the most important books about displacement, waiting, and what it costs to survive — and it reaches young readers who might not yet be ready for text-heavy nonfiction.
Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumani, set during the Arab Spring, deals directly with what it means to risk your safety for the right to exist with dignity. For readers 12 and up.
For Adults
Blackness and Islam by Imam Dawud Walid and The Spirits of Black Folk from Imam Ghazali Publishing offer historical and theological grounding that helps adults frame these conversations with depth. Not Palestine-specific, but they contribute to understanding why justice is inseparable from Islamic identity.
A Note on How to Use These Books
Palestinian literature for children works best when it is not treated as a current-events lesson. These are stories about people, land, memory, and love. Start there. The politics will be easier to understand once children know what is being fought for.
Our full Palestine collection is available year-round. These books matter and we keep them in stock.