Educational and Inspirational: Ideal for all ages, this coloring book offers a delightful and educational exploration of the Arabic alphabet. Learn letter shapes while expressing creativity through vibrant colors and detailed patterns.
Therapeutic Coloring Experience: Unwind and relax as you breathe life into each page with your favorite hues.
Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion, this coloring book is a unique and cherished present.
Create, Learn, and Relax with the Arabic Floral Alphabet Coloring Book. Let every stroke be a celebration of culture and beauty!
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This week, I’m launching the brand new Bookstore section on the new Studio Kenzie website! The bookstore is opening with a very special book from a unique new publisher, Luqoom. When I Grow Up I Want to Be (عندما أكبر أريد أن أكون) is Luqoom’s first Arabic children’s book, and I am so excited to finally share this treat with you!
First, please read this charming bio from their website:
“We have a sweet tooth for books
Founded by Racha Mourtada, Luqoom is a boutique publisher of pretty picture books in Arabic and English, based in Beirut. We believe books are treats to be savoured. They should be held, pored over, snuggled with and shared.
At Luqoom, we know that the combination of spare prose and beautiful imagery can create something magical. We strive to make luscious books that are captivating and visually rich, inviting kids (and the young at heart) into a world where they can let their curiosity and imagination run free.
We are particularly partial to science, silliness and good storytelling.”
Luqoom has done an amazing job with their approach to publishing unique children’s books in the nonfiction genre in Arabic. The nonfiction content in Arabic is generally lacking in quality, and the majority of nonfiction books are translated from other languages. Luqoom understands that nonfiction does not mean there is no room for imagination.
This book’s collection of modern day careers communicates a beautiful and strong message to children that they can dream big! The beautiful illustrations present a wide selection of innovative careers within technology, healthcare, science, music and art - and all presented in Arabic! This will encourage children to follow their own interests and create their own paths, whether it be to become music conductors, movie producers, or journalists!
I admire this book’s approach to addressing the issue of gender stereotypes associated with career roles and choices. Children will read about a nurse and a kindergarten teacher who are men, and they will also read about a robotics engineer and an astronaut who are women. It also ventures away from traditional careers such as doctors or lawyers and into exploring unconventional ones like video game designers, beekeepers, and circus acrobats.
The book aims to change the perceptions that children internalize at an early age about what is appropriate or not when it comes to following their interests and passions because of the messages they receive from people around them and the environment they grow up in.
The illustrations show a great and well-balanced representation of people of color. It is great to see books like this doing it right and hopefully setting the precedent for other Arabic children’s literature to follow suit.
You will be pleased with the wealth of vocabulary related to real-life, modern day jobs, professionals, and career settings in a simplified Modern Standard Arabic language that does not sound heavy or unnatural as we see in translated literature. Children can easily make connections between the nouns and action verbs related to each job and its setting and location. There is so much to learn for different age groups, and their vocabulary will expand over the years every time they revisit this book. I can see my 7-year-old son identifying gender grammar rules while enjoying the detailed illustrations on each page, and my 12-year-old daughter can pick up the appropriate language to use when talking about her plans for a future career.
And finally, this book is just beautiful! The illustrations and details are a joy to look at. As Luqoom promised, they have produced a captivating and visually rich, high-quality hardcover book that will make a lovely addition to your bookshelves. Honestly, it deserves a display shelf of its own. My inner child is completely in love with that glamorous gold title on the cover!
Definitely a classic for years to come!
When learning a new language, it is important to first answer the question "Why do you want to learn this?" Arabic is a vast and diverse language, and the reasons for learning it can be just as diverse as the language itself.
For the Arabic speaking diaspora outside the Middle East, it is no secret that most parents and teachers face many challenges when teaching Arabic to children. You can reach a certain point with teaching the Alef Ba Ta (ABCs) and decoding reading skills, but after that the learning path becomes somewhat unclear.
At this point, you have to ask yourself these questions. Do you only want them to be able to read the Quraan and prform Islamic rituals? Is your priority to teach them how to read and write to be able to learn about their history and culture? Or is your main concern to help them communicate with their grandparents and extended family back home?
If you are like me, most likely your goal is to accomplish all three. I would like to think that is not impossible for our second and third generation immigrant children. We just have to break up our targets and approach them accordingly.
We will get there!
This infographic shows how the different versions of Arabic relate to different learning goals and what type of learning activities can be used to achieve these goals.
Remember that the different varieties are complementary to each other and are not meant to be learned independently of each other. The idea is knowing that you can teach using different activities that suit your target at a certain phase of the child's learning journey. The hope is that as they advance in their language learning, they will become more confident in communicating with the Arabic language in any situation.
Are you a parent or a teacher teaching your children Arabic? What are your thoughts?