حَافِلَة المَدْرَسَة
The Bus to School
A Hayya Beena Naqraa story · Tier 1 · For ages 5–7
Cover page
حَافِلَة المَدْرَسَة
The Bus to School
🎨 Illustration prompt
A soft watercolor illustration of a young child with short dark hair and a small red backpack, standing on the sidewalk in front of a Levantine apartment building. A bright yellow school bus is approaching from the right. The child looks a little unsure, holding a lunch bag close. Morning light, soft blues and warm yellows, a few potted geraniums on a low balcony above. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 1
اليَوْمُ أَوَّلُ يَوْمٍ فِي المَدْرَسَة.
Today is the first day of school.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The same child standing at the entrance of a small Levantine apartment building, wearing a fresh school uniform and the red backpack. Mama stands beside them in a soft cardigan, holding the child's hand. Tiled stairs behind them, a doormat, a small olive tree in a clay pot. Early morning light, gentle and golden. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 2
ضَمَّتْنِي مَامَا بِقُوَّة.
Mama hugged me tight.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A warm close-up of Mama kneeling down on the sidewalk, hugging the child gently. The child's small arms wrap around her neck. Her eyes are kind, a soft smile on her face. The red backpack sits between them. Background blurred: the apartment building's blue door and a hint of jasmine vine. Watercolor style, tender and intimate. No text in the image.
Page 3
وَصَلَتِ الحَافِلَةُ الصَّفْرَاء.
The yellow bus arrived.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A bright yellow school bus pulling up to the curb in front of the Levantine apartment building. The bus door is opening. The child stands on the sidewalk, looking up at it with wide eyes. Mama is just behind them, one hand on their shoulder. Mountains visible in the distance beyond the rooftops. Watercolor style, cheerful palette. No text in the image.
Page 4
صَعِدْتُ إِلَى الحَافِلَة.
I climbed onto the bus.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child stepping up the bus stairs, small hand gripping the rail. The bus driver, a kind older man with a gray mustache and a warm smile, waits patiently. Inside, rows of green vinyl seats stretch back. The light from the open door falls on the child's shoes. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 5
جَلَسْتُ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ وَحْدِي.
I sat on a seat by myself.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The child sitting alone on a green bus seat, backpack on their lap, looking small. Their face is quiet and a little worried. Other children chatter softly in the background, slightly blurred. Sunlight filters through the bus window onto their cheek. Watercolor style, soft and gentle, with a touch of melancholy. No text in the image.
Page 6
لَوَّحَ لِي صَدِيقٌ مِنْ بَعِيد.
A friend waved to me from far away.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A few rows ahead, another child with curly hair and a blue backpack is turned around in their seat, waving with a big bright smile. Sunlight catches their hand mid-wave. The first child looks up, surprised, a tiny smile beginning. Inside of the bus warm and full of soft morning light. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 7
قَالَ: «أَهْلًا! تَعَالَ بِجَانِبِي!»
He said: "Hi! Come sit by me!"
🎨 Illustration prompt
The waving friend now patting the empty seat beside them, grinning warmly. The first child is standing up, hand on the seat back, walking toward them down the aisle. Other children smile in the background. The bus is moving — you can see trees passing through the window in soft blurs of green. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 8
اِبْتَسَمْتُ، وَجَلَسْتُ مَعَ صَدِيقِي.
I smiled, and I sat with my friend.
🎨 Illustration prompt
The two children sitting side by side on the green bus seat, shoulders touching, both smiling. The first child's backpack rests on their lap; the friend points excitedly out the window at something. Warm light fills the bus. The whole image feels safe and happy — the heart of the story. Watercolor style, soft and glowing. No text in the image.
كَلِمَاتٌ جَدِيدَة · New Words
| Arabic | How to say it | English |
|---|---|---|
حَافِلَة |
hā-fi-lah | bus |
مَدْرَسَة |
mad-ra-sah | school |
صَدِيق |
sa-deeq | friend |
كُرْسِيّ |
kur-siyy | chair / seat |
أَهْلًا |
ah-lan | hi / welcome |
اِبْتَسَمَ |
ib-ta-sa-ma | smiled |
🗣️ Talk about it (for parent or teacher)
These are not test questions — they're conversation starters. Ask one. Listen.
- Do you remember your first day of school? What did it feel like? (If your child is still little, tell them about your first day.)
- Have you ever felt shy in a new place? What helped you feel better?
- The friend on the bus waved. Can you think of a time someone was kind to you when you were nervous?
✏️ Try it (a tiny activity, 2 minutes)
Pick one:
- Practice waving and saying أَهْلًا (ahlan). Wave to someone in your family. Then wave to yourself in the mirror.
- Draw a school bus. Color it yellow. Put yourself in one window and a friend in another.
- Tell someone about your favorite friend. What do you like to do together?
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.
Read the Arabic line first. Then the English. Or the other way around — whatever feels natural. 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.
First days are big days — for kids and for grown-ups. If your child is starting school soon, this book is a gentle rehearsal. Read it a few times in the week before. By the morning of, حَافِلَة will already feel like a familiar word.
Read this book again tomorrow. Repetition is the secret. By the third time, your child will start saying hā-fi-lah with you before you say the English.
— Hayya Beena Naqraa (هَيَّا بِنَا نَقْرَأ)