Arabic / Lebanon
Samā
(Sky)
Tūmā, Nadīn
(Touma, Nadine)
(text)
Zar-ad-Dīn, Hisān
(Zahreddine, Hassan)
(illus.)
[Bairut]: Dar-Unbuz (Dar Onboz), 2015. – [44] p. + CD
ISBN 978-9953-465-37-1
Otherness | Outsider | Love | Humanity | Picture book
Reading age: 8+
White Ravens issue: 2015
A boy lives in a grey, forgotten, lifeless town where people do nothing but work, eat, and sleep. His skin is blueish – that’s why his mother calls him Samā (Sky). But since his family doesn’t know how to cope with his differentness, he feels sad. A light red cloud has settled on his heart. Farida, a young girl, is the only one who sees and accepts Samā as a person. Thus, the boy feels loved for the first time in his life. The friendship and humanity of these two children eventually brings life back into the dead town. This story, charged with symbols, is written in a solemn and fairytale-like tone. The audience can feel this tone on the accompanying CD on which the author reads the story. The extraordinary book received a special mention at the Bologna Ragazzi Award in the category “New Horizons”. It stands out for its combination of large-format melancholy etchings, aesthetic calligraphy, and exquisite design.