Randa Abdel-Fattah (text) and Maxine Beneba Clarke (illustrator), 11 Words for Love, Lothian Children’s Books, September 2022, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734421203
There are eleven words for love, and my family knows them all.
This is YA author and academic Randa Abdel-Fatteh’s first picture book. She writes with a mix of prose and rhyming verse with a song-like rhythm. The end papers and title page open with images of a family with packed suitcases. A patchwork rainbow coloured suitcase pops up on other spreads, containing photos and other treasures which sets the context beautifully for this book on change and hope.
11 Words for Love depicts many expressions of love on each spread. Sunshine warm friendship, love between two souls closely entwined, parent sibling love, love for one’s homeland and more. As each kind of love is portrayed by an image and verse, the word for this kind of love is written in Arabic. This is a very clever and warm cultural story.
The book is illustrated multi-talented Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of award winning picture books The Patchwork Bike and All Black Lives Matter, with bold images in a pastel texture loaded with colourful energy.
11 Words for Love is a warm and hopeful book with heart for children 3-10 years. It would engage any child, in particular those interested in different languages and cultures. Educators and school librarians could use this book for discussion on refugees and other cultures.
Reviewed by Stef Gemmill
