Eleven Words for Love: A Journey Through Arabic Expressions of Love

Praise

Alongside the lyrical definitions of love, the textured, bright, collagelike illustrations beautifully chronicle the family’s journey. The photographs of cherished memories are deftly interwoven alongside scenes of the characters building a new life. . . Relying on cultural touches such as a keffiyeh that one character wears, the story offers a glimpse into the lives of a Palestinian family uprooted from their home. A tender tale of love and remembrance.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

We all know that language can be nuanced, but the idea of there being 11 different words for 11 different sorts of love is simply delightful. . . Vibrant pastel illustrations from Clarke add depth and context, depicting love among intergenerational, biological, and chosen families. Eleven Words for Love can be described as a bilingual concept book and can be integrated creatively in writing, SEL, and art activities.
—Booklist

An affirming picture book that will be particularly welcomed by libraries seeking stories about refugees and the migration experience.
—School Library Journal

[A] lovely book, which illustrates the many different ways there are to care. . . Each kind of love is illustrated by Clarke’s vibrant double-page watercolor pencil collage paintings, which show both brown- and pink-skinned people embracing, playing, chatting over the fence. Abdel-Fattah’s poignant rhyming story celebrates the many ways we cherish the world and the people in it.
—The Star Tribune

Current events add sharp poignancy to this explanation of the nuanced meanings of 11 Arabic words that describe love. Besides introducing the foreign language and its calligraphy, the book will help children understand distinct relationships recognized by English speakers, too.
—The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

If you’ve ever thought English needed more words for different kinds of love, you’ll appreciate the Arabic expressions highlighted in this book.
—We Are Teachers