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TZID:America/Detroit
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UID:35087@arabamerica.com
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250913T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250913T110000
DTSTAMP:20250908T113936Z
URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/childrens-storytime-hilwas-gifts-by
 -safa-suleiman-2/
SUMMARY:Children's Storytime: HILWA'S GIFTS by Safa Suleiman
DESCRIPTION:CHICAGO\, IL\n\n\n\nJoin us for a children's storytime with Saf
 a Suleiman\, author of Hilwa's Gifts. The author will read and sign her be
 autiful picture book and then attendees will be invited to share in olive 
 oil and pita from our neighbors at the Middle Eastern Bakery.\n\nStorytime
  is designed for ages 2 and up\, but all are welcome. Registration is requ
 ired.\n\nA heartwarming picture-book debut brings a tradition many thousan
 ds of years old—harvesting and pressing olives into oil—vividly to lif
 e\, showing how customs unite us across time and space.\n\nAli has arrived
  in Palestine for a visit just in time for the olive harvest. His grandfat
 her\, Seedo\, and Hilwa—his favorite tree—greet him in the grove\, whe
 re Seedo explains that Hilwa has many gifts to share. Other family members
  whack the trees’ branches with sticks\, singing “Zaytoon\, ya zaytoon
 ” while cousins clap and dance and happily pick up fallen olives. (Lucki
 ly\, a gentle whack is all it takes for Hilwa’s fruits to rain down!) Th
 e next day\, at the olive press\, Ali watches the drip of gold liquid into
  a can\, another of Hilwa’s gifts. Later\, they picnic under the tree’
 s branches with hot mint tea\, pita\, and delicious olive oil swirled on h
 ummus. Tradition is the greatest gift of all: the family gathering—gener
 ation after generation—to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Dynamic illustr
 ations and a graceful text peppered with Arabic words\, plus a glossary an
 d author’s note\, make for an intimate picture-book debut about a child 
 discovering his heritage.\n\nSafa Suleiman is a Palestinian American educa
 tor with more than twenty years of experience in undergraduate and element
 ary school pedagogy. She is the author of Hilwa’s Gifts published by Can
 dlewick Press which received a starred review from Booklist\, calling it 
 “an absolute treasure\,” and Ameena’s Special Thobe slated for relea
 se in the Spring 2027. Safa lives with her family in Colorado on the homel
 and of the Ute Nation.
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2
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LOCATION:Women & Children First\, 5233 North Clark Street \, Chicago\, IL\,
  60640\, United States
GEO:41.97727;-87.668133
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 Chicago\, IL\, 60640\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Women & Ch
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