My Name Is Bana

by Bana Alabed, Nez Riaz (Illustrator)

Overview

A poignant picture book memoir from Bana Alabed, the seven-year-old Syrian girl from Aleppo whose messages to the world have turned her into a global symbol and advocate for refugee rights.

“I just want to live without fear.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 12, 2016

When seven-year-old Bana Alabed took to Twitter to describe the horrors she and her family were experiencing in war-torn Syria, her heartrending messages touched the world and gave a voice to millions of innocent children.

Written in Bana’s own words, this picture book offers a uniquely intimate child’s perspective on one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history. Bana has lost her best friend, her school, her home, and her homeland. But she has not lost her hope—for herself and for other children around the world who are victims and refugees of war and deserve better lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534412484
Publisher:	Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/21/2021
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bana Alabed, born in 2009 in Aleppo, Syria, is known worldwide for her tweets during the siege of the city in 2016 and for her subsequent calls for peace and an end to all global conflict. Her tweets have earned her legions of admirers around the world by giving a remarkable insight into the daily horrors of life in the city, including airstrikes, hunger, and the prospect of her family’s death. In December 2016, Bana and her family were safely evacuated from Aleppo to Turkey. When she grows up, Bana would like to become a teacher, like her mother. Her father is a lawyer, and she has two younger brothers, Noor and Mohamed. She wrote Dear World and My Name Is Bana.

Nez Riaz is a Pakistani/Palestinian illustrator based in Boston. She enjoys storytelling, pineapple pizza, and monkeys.

Editorial Reviews

10/18/2021

When brown-haired, light-skinned Bana asks her mother, who wears a headscarf, about the meaning of her name, her mother explains in Arabic how she and Bana’s father wanted Bana to channel the strength of a particular species of Syrian tree. A routine series of explanations follows, centering on various meanings of strength: “It means you use your mighty/ voice to speak up when you see/ something that is wrong or unfair.” When war comes to her country, Bana must discover just how strong she can be. Riaz’s homey acrylic paintings, finished digitally, mostly eschew the horrors of war, save for a spread of Bana and her family looking distressed and another showing planes flying over a desolate landscape. Richly hued illustrations emphasize simple expressions and dynamism in this hope-filled personal consideration of strength and cultural roots by Alabed, the Syrian youth activist who gained attention on Twitter after posting coverage of the war in Aleppo in 2016. Back matter features a contextualizing author’s note. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 10/01/2021

Gr 1–3—A winning portrayal from a child's point of view of living through crisis. In this picture book autobiography, the young author features herself and her family in this tender and poignant recounting set in Syria during the war. With a scattering of Arabic words sprinkled throughout, Bana shares the story of her name and gives us a glimpse into life in a war-torn country. Bana is named after the bana tree her mother tells her: "I wanted you to be qawiun (strong) just like this tree." Although Bana's life is much like children's all around the world, there is the ever present threat of danger. At times, Riaz's illustrations portray the presence of danger with a combination of gritty artwork and soft edges yet they are always sensitive to the intended young audience. For the most part, we see a family reading, playing soccer, and spending time outdoors. Bana and her mother are deeply connected, and their love is apparent on every page. Strength of mind and character is an overarching theme in this story of a child living through war. VERDICT Twelve-year-old Alabed has given the world a gift in a story that is realistic without being frightening and hopeful without being sappy. An important choice for all collections.—Linda Annable, Newport P.L., OR

School Library Journal

2021-07-14
In this picture book drawn from her own experience, young activist and author Alabed shares a story about resilience, courage, seeking refuge, and a family’s strength against persecution in Syria.

When Bana asks her mother about the story of her name, her mom says that she’s named after a tall bushy tree that grows in her native Syria. Her parents gave her the name in the hope that she will be strong as the tree. Her mom, who wears a headscarf as she and her daughter cuddle in an armchair, explains what strength means: being brave even when scared, helping others, speaking out for justice, nurturing one’s mind and body, and, most importantly, having hope. Beautiful, child-friendly art illustrates the concepts graphically, with a nuanced focus on protagonists’ faces and emotions. Bana recalls times when she was strong, like when she persevered despite being scared by bombs falling from the sky, when she comforted her scared little brothers and improvised a playground in the living room to distract them, and when she learned new things and made new friends in a new country. In the intimate interaction between the daughter and mother, hope and reassurance are exchanged, and Bana’s roots grow deeper. In an author’s note at the end of the book, Alabed contextualizes and historicizes the story and shares what became of her after leaving Syria. Importantly, the narrative depicts pride in speaking a heritage language, here Arabic, in a new foreign country. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An important addition to children’s literature about refugees, featuring a young activist’s own story. (Picture book. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews