Lebanon
245
Šaraf-ad-Din, Fątima (text)
Farran, Haba (illus.)
Nura wa qişşatha (Nura and her stories)
Bairūt: Risala, 2008. – [28] p.
ISBN 978-9953-488-57-8
Solidarity – Helpfulness – Egoism – Disappointment – Loneliness
Ants are generally considered
creatures utterly committed to communal being. The little helpful ant Nura,
too, loves to go on the search for food with the other ants of her lair. All
is well until, one day, the exits of the lair are blocked by fallen earth.
In the face of diminishing supplies, interaction becomes rough. More and
more ruthlessly, each ant becomes most concerned with their own advantage.
In this crisis situation, Nura realizes for the first time that in the end
she is alone in life and dependent on herself. This picture book, endowed
with very lively, original coloured illustrations, and also captivating with
its artistic calligraphic writing, vividly portrays the individual’s search
for a place between closeness and distance, altruism and self-interest. (5+)
246
Tūmā, Nadın R. L. (text)
Halwanı, Ġasān (illus.)
Qalb al-madina (The heart of the city)
Bairūt: Dar Qanbar, 2008. – [44] p.
ISBN 9953-465-08-8
Heart – Love – Humanity
The heart of a kite seller
flees from the din of the city up into the sky. With a kite in hand, the
seller follows his heart. The kite’s string shines golden in the sun; the
air is filled with warmth and love that is looking for a new heart to fill.
On a hill, the man meets a child and follows him to a nearby house. There,
the child’s family keeps watch at the bed of his mother, whose pulse only
beats every five minutes. The kite seller gives her his flying heart. This
touching book blurs the border between fantasy and reality. The text is
poetical and modern at the same time, anchored in the here and now. The
exquisite, surrealistic illustrations perfectly complement the unusual
story. (12+)