Summary
This beautiful story tells the autobiography of a father who was originally from Palestine. Before his daughters go to bed he takes them through stories of his life. They hear about day to to life and fascinations of their father in Jerusalem. It was beyond interesting them to hear about these exciting things his father used to partake in and see. It was a sad moment for the girls to understand they may not be able to go back to Palestine, however, they never wanted the stories to end.
Theme(s):
Family, Love, Hope
Personal Response
This autobiography does a great job portraying stories and illustrations that make the reader feel as if it came to life. The daughters listening to their fathers stories about Palestine were touching. The daughters were not able to actually visit Palestine, however, they got a taste of their family roots. It touches the heart to think about families who are not able to return home to their homeland and the stories told through time to make it to different generations so they are never lost.
Teaching Ideas
Reading this autobiography and having whole-class discussion throughout/after can be a great way to begin the topic of immigration within the classroom. You can build the lesson into a project where the students look into their own heritage, culture, and background. This give the students and opportunity to learn about their family, friends, or loved ones and where they’ve originated from. While also giving the teacher and opportunity for the students to engage in outside the classroom learning.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03
