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عَائِلَتِي

My Family

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

A pre-reader picture book. One family member, one word, one feeling per page. Read it slowly. Point to the picture. Say the name. Let the child echo.

Cover page

عَائِلَتِي

My Family

A soft watercolor group portrait of a Levantine family gathered on a sunlit balcony — a grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, two children, an aunt, an uncle, and two cousins. They are leaning clo
🎨 Illustration prompt

A soft watercolor group portrait of a Levantine family gathered on a sunlit balcony — a grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, two children, an aunt, an uncle, and two cousins. They are leaning close together, smiling gently, not posed stiffly. Potted basil and mint on the balcony railing. Pale morning light. Behind them, the soft blur of a mountain village. Watercolor style, soft edges, warm faces of different ages. No text in the image.

Page 1

مَامَا

دَافِئَة

Mama — warm

A gentle portrait of a mother in her thirties with a soft scarf around her shoulders, holding a small child close to her cheek. Her eyes are half-closed, smiling. Warm light pours over them from a kit
🎨 Illustration prompt

A gentle portrait of a mother in her thirties with a soft scarf around her shoulders, holding a small child close to her cheek. Her eyes are half-closed, smiling. Warm light pours over them from a kitchen window. The background is a blur of pale yellow and cream. Watercolor style, very tender. No text in the image.

Page 2

بَابَا

قَوِيّ

Baba — strong

A father in a simple button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves, lifting a small child up onto his shoulders. He is mid-laugh, beard short and dark, kind eyes. The child's small hands rest on his head.
🎨 Illustration prompt

A father in a simple button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves, lifting a small child up onto his shoulders. He is mid-laugh, beard short and dark, kind eyes. The child's small hands rest on his head. Background: the soft blur of a Levantine living room with a patterned rug. Watercolor style, warm and steady. No text in the image.

Page 3

تِيتَا

حَنُونَة

Tēta (Grandma) — soft

A grandmother in a long simple dress with a pale blue headscarf loosely draped, sitting in a wooden chair. Her hands are folded gently in her lap, fingers a little wrinkled. She is looking out a windo
🎨 Illustration prompt

A grandmother in a long simple dress with a pale blue headscarf loosely draped, sitting in a wooden chair. Her hands are folded gently in her lap, fingers a little wrinkled. She is looking out a window with a small smile. A pot of jasmine on the sill. Watercolor style, very calm, very kind. No text in the image.

Page 4

جِدُّو

حَكِيم

Jiddū (Grandpa) — wise

A grandfather with silver hair and a neat white moustache, wearing a soft grey cardigan. He is sitting at a small wooden table with a tiny glass of tea in front of him, leaning forward as if listening
🎨 Illustration prompt

A grandfather with silver hair and a neat white moustache, wearing a soft grey cardigan. He is sitting at a small wooden table with a tiny glass of tea in front of him, leaning forward as if listening carefully. Gentle wrinkles around his eyes. Watercolor style, warm browns and greys. No text in the image.

Page 5

أَخ

مَرِح

Akh (Brother) — playful

A boy about six years old in a striped t-shirt, mid-jump, arms wide, laughing with his mouth open. A small red ball is bouncing near his feet. Background: a courtyard with a low stone wall and a lemon
🎨 Illustration prompt

A boy about six years old in a striped t-shirt, mid-jump, arms wide, laughing with his mouth open. A small red ball is bouncing near his feet. Background: a courtyard with a low stone wall and a lemon tree. Watercolor style, full of motion and joy. No text in the image.

Page 6

أُخْت

لَطِيفَة

Ukht (Sister) — kind

A girl about seven years old with two long braids, kneeling down to hand a small flower to someone just out of frame. Her face is gentle, focused. She is wearing a simple yellow dress. Background: sof
🎨 Illustration prompt

A girl about seven years old with two long braids, kneeling down to hand a small flower to someone just out of frame. Her face is gentle, focused. She is wearing a simple yellow dress. Background: soft green grass and a few wildflowers. Watercolor style, sweet and steady. No text in the image.

Page 7

خَالَة

مُضْحِكَة

Khāla (Aunt — mama's side) — funny

A young woman in her late twenties with curly dark hair tied loosely back, making a silly face — eyes wide, tongue out a little — toward a small child who is laughing. She is wearing a green sweater.
🎨 Illustration prompt

A young woman in her late twenties with curly dark hair tied loosely back, making a silly face — eyes wide, tongue out a little — toward a small child who is laughing. She is wearing a green sweater. Background: a kitchen with a blue tile backsplash. Watercolor style, full of warmth and humor. No text in the image.

Page 8

عَمَّة

كَرِيمَة

'Ammah (Aunt — baba's side) — generous

A woman in her thirties holding out a small plate of date cookies (ma'amoul) toward the viewer, smiling. She is wearing a soft rose-colored blouse. Her other hand rests on the shoulder of a small chil
🎨 Illustration prompt

A woman in her thirties holding out a small plate of date cookies (ma'amoul) toward the viewer, smiling. She is wearing a soft rose-colored blouse. Her other hand rests on the shoulder of a small child beside her. Background: a dining table with a vase of fresh mint. Watercolor style, warm and giving. No text in the image.

Page 9

اِبْنُ العَمّ

فُضُولِيّ

Ibn al-'amm (Cousin, boy) — curious

A boy about five years old crouched down, looking closely at a tiny snail on a leaf. His eyes are wide with interest, his small finger pointing but not touching. He is wearing a blue shirt and shorts.
🎨 Illustration prompt

A boy about five years old crouched down, looking closely at a tiny snail on a leaf. His eyes are wide with interest, his small finger pointing but not touching. He is wearing a blue shirt and shorts. Background: the soft blur of a garden. Watercolor style, gentle and observant. No text in the image.

Page 10

بِنْتُ الخَال

شُجَاعَة

Bint al-khāl (Cousin, girl) — brave

A girl about six years old standing tall on a low stone wall, arms out for balance, looking ahead with a determined little smile. She is wearing a red shirt and jeans, hair short and tucked behind her
🎨 Illustration prompt

A girl about six years old standing tall on a low stone wall, arms out for balance, looking ahead with a determined little smile. She is wearing a red shirt and jeans, hair short and tucked behind her ears. Background: a Levantine village path with olive trees. Watercolor style, full of small courage. No text in the image.

Closing Page

كُلُّنَا عَائِلَة.

We are all family.

The same family from the cover, now gathered around a long table outdoors under a grapevine trellis. Plates of bread, olives, and fresh herbs. Everyone is reaching for something, talking, smiling. The
🎨 Illustration prompt

The same family from the cover, now gathered around a long table outdoors under a grapevine trellis. Plates of bread, olives, and fresh herbs. Everyone is reaching for something, talking, smiling. The child from the earlier pages is in the middle, leaning against the grandmother. Pale evening light, soft golden. Watercolor style, the emotional heart of the book — many hands, one table. No text in the image.

كَلِمَاتٌ جَدِيدَة · New Words

Each page has one family word and one feeling word. For pre-readers, the picture IS the meaning. Adults: point, say it slowly, let the child echo.

Arabic How to say it English
مَامَا
 māmā mama
بَابَا
 bābā papa
تِيتَا
 tētā grandma
جِدُّو
 jiddū grandpa
أَخ
 akh brother
أُخْت
 ukht sister
خَالَة
 khāla aunt (mama's side)
عَمَّة
 'ammah aunt (baba's side)
اِبْنُ العَمّ
 ibn al-'amm cousin (boy)
بِنْتُ الخَال
 bint al-khāl cousin (girl)
عَائِلَة
 'ā'ila family

🗣️ Talk about it (for parent or teacher)

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

  1. Who in your family does this picture remind you of? Your tēta? Your khāla?
  2. What's your favorite feeling word here — warm, strong, soft, playful? Why that one?
  3. Let's say one name together five times. Whose name?

✏️ Try it (a tiny activity, 2 minutes)

Pick one:

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 and the looker.

How to read it:

  1. Point to the picture. "This is Tēta."
  2. Say the Arabic word slowly. "Tēta."
  3. Say the feeling word. "Soft. Tēta is soft."
  4. Move on. Don't quiz.

A note on family words. Arabic has different words for mama's sister (khāla) and baba's sister (`ammah), and different words for cousins depending on which side of the family they come from. This isn't extra — it's how Levantine families actually speak. If your family uses different words (sittī instead of tēta, for example), use yours. The book is a starting point, not a rulebook.

Repetition is the curriculum. Read this book over and over. Within a week or two, your child will start saying jiddū before you do. That is the goal — not memorization, but the warmth of family names becoming familiar in two languages at once.

— Hayya Beena Naqraa (هَيَّا بِنَا نَقْرَأ)

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