جِسْمِي

My Body

A Hayya Beena Naqraa story · Tier 0 (Whisper of the Alphabet · هَمْسَةُ الأَبْجَدِيَّة) · For ages 3–5

A pre-reader picture book. One body part, one tiny action, one small picture per page. Read it slowly. Point. Let the child show you the part on their own body.

Cover page

جِسْمِي

My Body

🎨 Illustration prompt
A soft watercolor illustration of a small child, around 4 years old, standing barefoot on a warm wooden floor in a sunlit Levantine living room. The child has light brown skin, curly hair, and a simple cotton shirt and pants. Arms slightly raised, looking down at their own hands with curiosity and a small smile. A potted basil plant on the windowsill behind. Pale morning light, soft gold. Watercolor style, soft edges, no harsh outlines. No text in the image.

Page 1

رَأْس

أُحَرِّكُ رَأْسِي

Ra's — Head

I nod my head

🎨 Illustration prompt
A small child shown from the shoulders up, gently nodding, eyes closed in a soft smile. Curly hair bouncing with the motion, shown by two faint motion lines. A pale blue wall behind, with a single framed family photo just visible at the edge. Watercolor style, warm and tender. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 2

عَيْن

أَرَى

'Ayn — Eye

I see

🎨 Illustration prompt
A close-up of one child's eye, wide and curious, long lashes, dark brown iris with tiny golden flecks. The reflection in the eye shows a small butterfly. Soft skin tones around. Watercolor style, gentle and bright. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 3

أُذُن

أَسْمَع

Udhun — Ear

I hear

🎨 Illustration prompt
A child shown from the side, one small hand cupped behind their ear, listening intently. Tiny musical notes and a soft bird drawn faintly in the air near the ear, like sounds floating in. A blurred kitchen background with a copper pot. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 4

فَم

أَبْتَسِم

Fam — Mouth

I smile

🎨 Illustration prompt
A close-up of a child's face, a wide gentle smile with two small front teeth showing, cheeks lifted, eyes crinkled at the corners. Warm light on the skin. Background a soft blur of pale yellow. Watercolor style, joyful and quiet. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 5

أَنْف

أَشُمّ

Anf — Nose

I smell

🎨 Illustration prompt
A child leaning over a small sprig of fresh mint held in their fingers, nose close, eyes half-closed in pleasure. A soft green leaf brushing the tip of the nose. Background: a wooden kitchen table with a teapot just visible. Watercolor style, fresh greens. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 6

يَد

أُمْسِك

Yad — Hand

I hold

🎨 Illustration prompt
A small child's hand holding a single round piece of warm flatbread, fingers gentle around it. The bread is golden-brown. A folded blue cotton napkin beside. Watercolor style, soft and homey. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 7

قَدَم

أَمْشِي

Qadam — Foot

I walk

🎨 Illustration prompt
A pair of small bare feet mid-step on a stone-tiled balcony floor, one foot lifted slightly. A potted geranium in the corner of the frame. Pale morning shadow stretching beside the feet. Watercolor style, simple and tender. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 8

قَلْب

أُحِبّ

Qalb — Heart

I love

🎨 Illustration prompt
A child hugging a soft pillow close to their chest with both arms, head tilted, eyes closed in contentment. The pillow has a simple embroidered pattern of small flowers. Warm golden light around. Watercolor style, full of quiet love. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 9

بَطْن

أَضْحَك

Batn — Belly

I laugh

🎨 Illustration prompt
A child sitting on a woven rug, head thrown back in laughter, both small hands resting on their belly. Eyes squeezed shut in joy, mouth wide open. A few cushions around in warm reds and oranges. Watercolor style, full of life. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Page 10

ظَهْر

أَتَمَدَّد

Zahr — Back

I stretch

🎨 Illustration prompt
A child standing with arms raised high overhead, back arched gently, looking up. A small yawn on their face. Behind them a window with a Levantine balcony view — laundry on a line, distant rooftops. Soft morning light. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

Closing Page

هَذَا جِسْمِي.

وَهُوَ جَمِيل.

This is my body.

And it is beautiful.

🎨 Illustration prompt
The same child from the cover, standing with both arms open wide, a soft happy smile, looking directly at the reader. Bare feet on a warm wooden floor. Behind them, a sunlit window with a jasmine vine spilling in. The child looks proud and at peace in their own body. Watercolor style, the emotional anchor of the book — warmth, dignity, joy. Watercolor style. No text in the image.

كَلِمَاتٌ جَدِيدَة · New Words

Each page has its own word — that's the whole vocabulary list. For pre-readers, the picture IS the meaning. Adults: point to the word, say it slowly, touch the body part on yourself, let the child touch theirs.

Arabic	How to say it	English
رَأْس	ra's	head
عَيْن	'ayn	eye
أُذُن	udhun	ear
فَم	fam	mouth
أَنْف	anf	nose
يَد	yad	hand
قَدَم	qadam	foot
قَلْب	qalb	heart
بَطْن	batn	belly
ظَهْر	zahr	back
جِسْم	jism	body
جَمِيل	jamīl	beautiful

🗣️ Talk about it (for parent or teacher)

These aren't quiz questions. Ask one, point at the picture, and listen.

Can you show me your yad? Your anf? Your qadam? Touch each one as you say it.
What does your fam like to do? Smile? Eat? Sing? Show me.
Where is your qalb? Put your hand there. Can you feel it?

✏️ Try it (a tiny activity, 2 minutes)

Pick one:

Body part chase. The grown-up says a word in Arabic — ra's, udhun, batn — and the child touches that part as fast as they can. Switch roles.
Mirror game. Stand in front of a mirror together. Point to one part. Say its name in Arabic. The child copies. Move to the next.
Stretch and laugh. Do every action in the book in order — nod, see, hear, smile, smell, hold, walk, love, laugh, stretch. Together. That's the whole game.

A note for grown-ups reading along

This is a pre-reader book — designed for ages 3 to 5, before children can decode letters on their own. You are the reader. Your child is the listener, the looker, and the doer.

How to read it:

Point to the Arabic word at the top of the page.
Say it slowly: "Ra's."
Touch your own head. Then gently touch theirs.
Say the little action: "Uharriku ra'si. I nod my head." Nod together.
That's it. Move on. Don't quiz.

This book is also a body-affirmation book. Every child's body — every size, every color, every shape, every ability — is jamīl. Beautiful. The closing page is the heart of it. Read it like you mean it, because you do.

Repetition is the curriculum. Read this book over and over. Within a week or two, your child will start touching their anf before you even say the word. That is the goal — not memorization, not testing, but the warmth of their own body becoming a friend they can name in two languages.

— Hayya Beena Naqraa (هَيَّا بِنَا نَقْرَأ)