صَبَاح الخَيْر
Good Morning
A Hayya Beena Naqraa story · Tier 1 · For ages 5–7
Cover page
صَبَاح الخَيْر
Good Morning
🎨 Illustration prompt
A soft watercolor illustration of a young child with tousled dark hair, sitting up in bed, stretching their arms wide as morning light pours through a window with sheer cream curtains. A small olive tree is visible through the window, and a Levantine balcony railing. The bedsheet is patterned with simple blue flowers. The mood is sleepy, happy, and warm — soft yellows, pale blues, gentle pinks. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 1
اِسْتَيْقَظْتُ. الشَّمْسُ مُشْرِقَة.
I woke up. The sun is bright.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The same child, now standing barefoot by the window in pajamas, looking out at a bright Levantine morning. Soft golden sunlight spills onto the tiled floor. Outside the window: a few clay-tiled rooftops, a lemon tree, distant hills. The child rubs one eye sleepily. Warm watercolor palette — buttery yellows and soft terracotta. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 2
صَبَاحَ الخَيْرِ، يَا مَامَا.
Good morning, Mama.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child hugging their mother around the waist in a sunny kitchen. The mother is smiling down, holding a small glass of tea, her hair loosely tied back. She wears a simple cotton dress. Behind them, a kettle steams on the stove and a small bunch of fresh mint sits on the counter. Watercolor style with warm morning light. No text in the image.
Page 3
صَبَاحَ الخَيْرِ، يَا بَابَا.
Good morning, Baba.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child reaching up on tiptoes to kiss their father's cheek. The father is leaning down, smiling, holding a small cup of coffee. He wears a simple button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled. A newspaper rests on the table behind him. Warm Levantine kitchen — soft blue tiles, a window with a potted basil plant. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 4
صَبَاحَ الخَيْرِ، يَا تيتا.
Good morning, Teta.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child standing close to their grandmother, who is seated in a wooden chair. Teta has silver hair pulled back in a soft bun, gentle wrinkles, and a knitted shawl around her shoulders. She cups the child's face in both hands, smiling deeply. A small embroidered cushion behind her. Soft watercolor, warm earthy tones. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 5
صَبَاحَ الخَيْرِ، يَا أَخِي.
Good morning, my brother.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child grinning at a slightly older brother who is still half-asleep, hair sticking up, wrapped in a soft blanket on a couch. The brother gives a tiny sleepy wave. A floor cushion and a folded throw beside them. Soft morning light through nearby curtains. Watercolor style, gentle and playful. No text in the image.
Page 6
صَبَاحَ الخَيْرِ، يَا أُخْتِي.
Good morning, my sister.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child holding hands with a younger sister in pajamas, both walking together toward the kitchen. The little sister clutches a small cloth doll. Their bare feet on patterned floor tiles — classic Levantine geometric blues and whites. A hallway with a framed family photo in the background. Watercolor style, soft and warm. No text in the image.
Page 7
الفُطُورُ جَاهِز. نَأْكُلُ مَعًا.
Breakfast is ready. We eat together.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A wide view of the whole family — mama, baba, teta, brother, sister, and the child — gathered around a round table covered with small plates: a bowl of creamy labneh drizzled with olive oil, a dish of green and black olives, a basket of warm flatbread, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, a small plate of white cheese, and glasses of tea. Everyone is smiling, reaching, passing bread. Sunlight streams across the table. The heart of the book. Watercolor style, warm and full of love. No text in the image.
كَلِمَاتٌ جَدِيدَة · New Words
| Arabic | How to say it | English |
|---|---|---|
صَبَاح الخَيْر |
sa-baah al-khair | good morning |
مَامَا |
ma-ma | mama |
بَابَا |
ba-ba | papa |
تيتا |
tee-ta | grandma |
أَخِي |
a-khee | my brother |
أُخْتِي |
ukh-tee | my sister |
فُطُور |
fu-toor | breakfast |
🗣️ Talk about it (for parent or teacher)
These are not test questions — they're conversation starters. Ask one. Listen.
- Who do you say good morning to first? Is it a person, or a pet, or maybe a stuffed animal?
- What's on the breakfast table in this story? Have you ever tried labneh or olives? What does your breakfast look like?
- The whole family is eating together. Who do you like to share a meal with?
✏️ Try it (a tiny activity, 2 minutes)
Pick one:
- Say sabah al-khair to someone in your family today. See if they smile.
- Draw your breakfast table. Who sits where? What's on the plates?
- Learn one more family word in Arabic. Try jiddo (جِدُّو = grandpa) or khalti (خَالْتِي = my aunt). Try it out loud.
A note for grown-ups reading along
The Arabic in this story uses full vowel marks (تَشْكِيل) so early readers can sound out each word. As your child gets more comfortable, the vowel marks gradually disappear in higher tiers.
This book is built around a simple, repeated phrase: sabah al-khair. Say it with your child every morning for a week and watch what happens. Repetition is the secret. Read the Arabic first, then the English — or the other way around. If you don't know Arabic yet, just read the English and point to the Arabic. Your child will start matching the shapes to the sounds.
Some of the family words here (baba, mama, teta) are the same ones used in Levantine homes every day. If your family uses different words — sito, jido, mami — swap them in. This book belongs to your family now.
— Hayya Beena Naqraa (هَيَّا بِنَا نَقْرَأ)