Ibtihaj Al Harthi

Omani artist and children's author Ibtihaj Al-Harthi explores the sadness of loss and the healing of family love in this poignant picture-book, first published in Arabic by Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (since renamed the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press). Azzan loves to spend time with his grandmother, whom the family all call 'Mah,' and enjoys his visits at her home in the small village of Bahla. When Mah dies, he grieves with the rest of the family, but continues to have questions and concerns - is Mah asleep now? is she in the sky? is she in the ground? - that his patient and loving mother addresses. Each question leads to a memory of Mah, and as the seasons pass, Azzan realizes that his grandmother will always be with him, in his heart...

Originally published as أنا وماه, Mah and Me offers a sensitive and often touching look at a young child's first real loss: the death of a grandparent. I really appreciated the way Azzan's grieving process was spread out over the year, and that he was continuing to ask questions and to speak of Mah with his mother, long after the fact. This is a more realistic reflection of loss, I think, than what I sometimes see in such books, as most people continue to think of their loved one, and to have questions and concerns, far past the 'official' mourning period. The accompanying artwork here looks like it was done (at least partially) in watercolor, and is well-suited to the story. This is my first children's book from an Omani creator - according to her website, Al-Harthi grew up in Muscat, but has fond ties to her ancestral village in the Al Sharqiya region of Oman - but I hope it will not be my last. The author appears to have written one other, which has not yet been translated, and to have illustrated a few other authors' books. I will see what I can track down. Recommended to readers looking for children's stories about death, grieving and healing, and to anyone seeking children's books set in Oman.… (plus d'informations)