Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine

Moushabeck makes her picture book debut with a quietly moving intergenerational reminiscence of a family’s homeland, a place the narrator has “never been.” The story opens on three sisters of Palestinian descent who treasure their father’s bedtime stories of visiting his grandparents in the Old City of Jerusalem. His sensate accounts—accompanied by crisp, distilled digital illustrations from Madooh, also making her debut—bring to life the city’s sights and sounds. He tells of beloved relatives (his sido, “a stern-looking, tarboosh-wearing, argileh-puffing, mustachioed man”), a drumming juice vendor who “played beautiful, intricate rhythms, using brass cups and saucers,” the buzz of the family’s café, and the homing pigeons Sido cares for, who instinctively understand “this is their home.” The final scene returns to the present, showing the girls’ family in a relaxed, happy mealtime preparation. But just outside the kitchen sits a key to the family’s ancestral East Jerusalem home; it’s an ever-present reminder both that “the ending of this story is not a happy one” and of their “hope of return.” Though the vividly rendered lines don’t contextualize the history behind the telling, the title’s emotionally layered conclusion offers a strong jumping-off point for further discussion. Back matter includes a glossary of Arabic words and an author’s note. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)