I was recently chatting to a lady who was born in France and she mentioned only speaking French at home with her two children. I praised this not just because it maintains cultural heritage but because professionally this could well advantage her children in the future.

I began to wonder what books might be available for kids in both Arabic and English. Please take a walk through this selection of lovely books recommended for ages 0-10+. Bookstores that offer these books and more follow at the end of this article:

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Arabic/English

Eric Carle

Mantra Publishing

31 December 1998 Recommended for ages 0-4

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a book familiar to most families with young children in Australia.

This is the story of a very hungry caterpillar growing into a beautiful butterfly. The book enables teachers to raise the language awareness of the class as they follow the evolution of the caterpillar in days, foods, and numbers.

How wonderful that this publication offers the text in Arabic as well as English.

Other well-known multilingual titles found in bookstores include Alice in Wonderland, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

HOUSES AND HOMES

Arabic/English

Comparing Countries

Sabrina Crewe

Franklin Watts Ltd

08 January 2019 (Recommended ages from 6-12+)

Comparing Countries is a ground-breaking non-fiction dual-language series that compares and contrasts ways of life in ten different countries around the world. Presented in two different languages, each title explores a topic common to all children, from homes to festivals, highlighting what makes us different and what we all have in common. This series provides great support to geography learning, as well as helps young language learners improve their reading skills.

TOWND AND VILLAGES is another title in the series.

THE RAINBOW FISH

Arabic/English

Marcus Pfister

North-south Books

01 August 2019 (Recommended ages 4 to 8 years)

NorthSouth Books is proud to partner with bi:Libri in a new line of multilingual children’s books. Launching with bilingual editions of The Rainbow Fish in ten languages and continuing with more unique titles that address universal themes, such as friendship, tolerance, and finding courage-bringing great stories and second-language learning fun to children around the world. For over twenty-five years the little fish with the sparkling scales, who learned to conquer his vanity, has enchanted children and grown-ups all over the world. A great way to introduce a second language to very young children, be they English- or Arabic-speaking.

The Rainbow Fish won the following awards:

A CHRISTOPHER AWARD WINNER

WINNER OF THE BOLOGNA BOOK FAIR CRITICI IN ERBA PRIZE

AMERICAN BOOKSELLER ABBY AWARD WINNER

AN IRA-CBC CHILDREN’S CHOICE

One other NorthSouth Arabic/English title is the delightfully illustrated LITTLE POLAR BEAR by Hans de Beer:

EMPATHY

Arabic/English

Patricia Billings,

Manuela Gutierrez Montoya

Miscellaneous

01 January 2018 (Recommended age 0-3 years)

Guaranteed to enrich a toddler’s vocabulary, this simple and fun series of bilingual board books is ideal for helping children discover a foreign language. Highlighting more complex concepts that go beyond colors and numbers, titles in the series feature animals, fruit, home, and vegetables. This collection combines photographs, bright illustrations, and dual-language words in clear, bold text. Suitable for both individuals and groups, these books are a child’s perfect introduction to exploring other cultures.

This series has other titles: FRIENDS, SHARING, BEING GOOD, EMOTIONS, GRATITUDE and as the text above suggests, animals, fruit, vegetables, and more.

SWIRLING HIJAB

Arabic/English

Na’ima bint Robert, Nilesh Mistry

Mantra Publishing

01 January 2002 Recommended ages 5-10

Enter the imaginary world of a little girl playing with her mother’s hijaab. With a swirl of the hijaab, she is at once a brave warrior queen, an adventurous nomad in the desert, and a beautiful bride, inside a Bedouin tent.

Bookstores where you can locate these and/or other titles (search Arabic/English and then under children’s books):

Abbey’s:

Angus & Roberston: https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/

Book Depository (this is an overseas store but they generally offer free postage) https://www.bookdepository.com/

Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au

Global Language Books: https://www.globallanguage.com.au