The Arabic Quilt is one of the best picture books I’ve ever read. Except how can she do that when Baba packs her a kofta sandwich for lunch instead of PB&J and Mama sings along to the Arabic radio channel in the car? But when Kanzi’s teacher comes up with the idea to create a class masterpiece inspired by Kanzi’s special quilt from Teita in Egypt, she realizes that with the unification language provides, she and her classmates are stronger when they celebrate their differences together. It’s Kanzi’s first day at school after her family’s move to America from Egypt, and all Kanzi wants is to fit in. “‘Learning other languages besides the one we grow up with helps make the world a friendlier place.’” See more of Anait’s work at (Bio taken from the back of The Arabic Quilt)įind Anait Semirdzhyan on the following platforms: She then inks the outlines, paints with watercolors, and scans the illustrations in order to edit them in Photoshop.

Her illustrations begin as pencil sketches on cold-press watercolor paper. She lives in Northwest Ohio with her family.” (Bio taken from author’s website)įind Aya Khalil on the following platforms:Ībout the Illustrator: “Anait Semirdzhayan grew up in a multicultural family and lived in several countries with diverse cultures before settling in the Seattle area with her husband and twin daughters. Besides writing and teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and cycling (indoors and outdoors). It will be illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. Her upcoming picture book, THE NIGHT BEFORE EID, will be published in 2023 by Little, Brown/ Christy Ottaviano, about three generations of Egyptian-Americans bonding over a special Eid treat.

Her debut picture book THE ARABIC QUILT was published in February 2020 by Tilbury House & illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan and has won numerous awards. Aya is represented by Brent Taylor of Triada US Agency. She also teaches at the University of Toledo and occasionally subs at a local public school. Her work has been published in The Huffington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Toledo Area Parent and many others. She’s been featured in Teen Vogue, Yahoo!, Book Riot and USA Today. She holds a master’s degree in Education with a focus in teaching English as a second Language. Out Now from Tilbury House Publishers 32 pagesĪbout the Author: “Aya Khalil, M.Ed, is an author and freelance journalist. The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story written by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan

The Arabic Quilt by Aya Khalil