A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child's Search for Home

Join us on Saturday, November 2 at 11:30am for a storytime and book signing with author Maysa Odeh. This storytime will be held indoors, in the back of the store. RSVP now »

Ages 4 to 8

In this gentle and heartfelt picture book, a young Palestinian girl living in diaspora struggles to find her homeland on a map.

Does a place exist if it's not on a map?

At school, Falasteen and her classmates are tasked with finding their families' home countries on a map, but no matter how hard she looks, Falasteen can't find Palestine.

Confused, she turns to her family for answers. Her grandfather draws her a new map that reveals the villages, trees and rivers that make up their homeland, her grandmother gifts her the key to the home they were forced to leave, and Mama encourages her to believe in the places she hasn't yet seen with her own eyes. Each of their stories help her understand her people's history and her own place in the world.

Filled with beautiful, inspiring illustrations and thoughtful back matter that outlines key terms and historical moments, this is a story of family, resilience and home always being where the heart is.

About the Author

Maysa Odeh is a Palestinian writer who grew up between Amman, Jordan and the United States. Her debut picture book was written during the assault on Gaza in 2021, which sparked a conversation between herself and her inner child. A Map for Falasteen answers the questions she was too shy to ask as a child of Palestinian refugees. Maysa resides in California with her four year old daughter, Malak, who asks questions all day long in Arabic and English, and sometimes even in her sleep.

Aliaa Betawi is a self-taught Palestinian artist based in Alexandria, Egypt who developed her craft by observing her gifted mother. She believes that every kid deserves a childhood filled with magical, joyful memories and this is what she works to give to all kids, including herself. A Map for Falasteen was her opportunity to capture a single elusive memory in Palestine, a memory she could not enjoy as a Palestinian child in exile.