العَاصِفَة وَالشَّاي
The Storm and the Tea
A Hayya Beena Naqraa story · Tier 2 · For ages 7–9
Cover page
العَاصِفَة وَالشَّاي
The Storm and the Tea
🎨 Illustration prompt
A warm watercolor scene viewed from inside a Levantine apartment at night. A child around 8 years old, dark curly hair, sits curled on a soft couch beside their father, both holding small glass cups of mint tea. A single lit candle glows on the coffee table between them. Outside the window, dark rain streaks the glass and a flash of distant lightning illuminates the city rooftops. The room is dim but the candle and the closeness of father and child make it feel safe. Aspect ratio 4:5 portrait. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 1
في اللَّيْل، جَاءَتْ عَاصِفَةٌ كَبِيرَة. الرِّيحُ تَضْرِبُ النَّوافِذ، وَالمَطَرُ يَنْزِلُ بِقُوَّة.
At night, a big storm came. The wind beat against the windows, and the rain came down hard.
🎨 Illustration prompt
An exterior watercolor view of a Levantine apartment building at night during a heavy storm. Rain slashes diagonally across the dark sky. The trees on the street bend in the wind. Most windows are dark, but one window on the third floor glows with warm yellow light. Wet asphalt reflects the streetlamps. Deep blues and greys with one warm spot of light. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 2
فَجْأَةً، لَمَعَ البَرْقُ في السَّمَاء. ثُمَّ جَاءَ الرَّعْدُ عَالِيًا جِدًّا. شَعَرَ الوَلَدُ بِالخَوْف.
Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky. Then the thunder came, very loud. The boy felt afraid.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A watercolor close-up of a child sitting up in bed, eyes wide, blanket pulled up to their chin. Through the bedroom window behind them, a jagged bright streak of lightning splits the dark purple sky. The child's small lamp casts a soft orange glow on their face. A stuffed animal lies tipped over beside them. The mood is fear, but tender, not scary. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 3
ثُمَّ اِنْطَفَأَتِ الأَنْوَارُ في كُلِّ البِنَايَة. صَارَ البَيْتُ مُظْلِمًا تَمَامًا.
Then the lights went out in the whole building. The house became completely dark.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A watercolor scene of a dark Levantine living room — the silhouettes of a couch, a low table, and a bookshelf barely visible in the deep blue darkness. A thin line of moonlight comes through the curtains. The child stands in the doorway, very small, looking into the dark room. The mood is hushed, a little spooky but not frightening. Deep indigos and greys. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 4
جَاءَ بَابَا وَهُوَ يَبْتَسِم. قَالَ بِهُدُوء: "لا تَخَفْ يَا حَبِيبِي. عِنْدَنَا شَمْعَة."
Baba came in, smiling. He said quietly: "Don't be afraid, habibi. We have a candle."
🎨 Illustration prompt
A watercolor scene of a warm-faced Levantine father in a simple sweater, kneeling down to the child's height in the dark hallway. He holds an unlit candle in one hand and rests the other gently on the child's shoulder. His smile is calm and reassuring. A small flashlight on the floor beside them casts a soft pool of light upward. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 5
أَشْعَلَ بَابَا الشَّمْعَةَ عَلى الطَّاوِلَة. صَارَ المَطْبَخُ دَافِئًا بِالضَّوْءِ الأَصْفَر. ثُمَّ وَضَعَ المَاءَ عَلى النَّار.
Baba lit the candle on the table. The kitchen became warm with yellow light. Then he put water on the stove.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A watercolor scene of a small Levantine kitchen lit only by a single candle on the table. The father stands at the stove, his back to us, placing a small kettle on the gas flame. The blue flame and the yellow candlelight mix beautifully. Glass jars of dried herbs — mint, sage, thyme — line a shelf above the stove. The child watches from a chair, more curious now than afraid. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 6
قَالَ بَابَا: "تَعَالَ اِجْلِسْ مَعِي." سَكَبَ كُوبَيْنِ صَغِيرَيْنِ مِنْ شَايِ النَّعْنَاع. رَائِحَةُ النَّعْنَاعِ مَلَأَتِ الغُرْفَة.
Baba said: "Come sit with me." He poured two small cups of mint tea. The smell of mint filled the room.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A watercolor close-up on a low wooden coffee table. Two small clear glass tea cups sit on the table, filled with golden mint tea, fresh mint leaves floating inside. Steam rises in soft curls. The candle burns beside them. In the background, slightly blurred, the father and child settle onto the couch. Warm golds, soft greens. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 7
الرَّعْدُ يَهْدِر في الخَارِج. الشَّمْعَةُ تَرْقُص بِهُدُوء. وَالشَّايُ دَافِئٌ في اليَدَيْن.
The thunder rumbled outside. The candle danced quietly. And the tea was warm in their hands.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A watercolor scene of the father and child sitting close together on the couch, each holding a small glass of tea with both hands. The candle flame on the table bends slightly as if in a draft. Behind them, the window shows a faint flash of distant lightning through the rain. Their faces are calm, lit warmly from below by the candle. The mood is safety found inside a storm. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 8
قَالَ بَابَا بِصَوْتٍ هَادِئ: "العَاصِفَةُ في الخَارِج، وَالأَمَانُ في الدَّاخِل." اِسْتَنَدَ الوَلَدُ عَلى كَتِفِ بَابَا.
Baba said in a quiet voice: "The storm is outside, and safety is inside." The boy leaned against Baba's shoulder.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A tender watercolor scene of the child leaning their head against their father's shoulder on the couch. The father's arm is around them. Both look toward the window, where the rain blurs the city lights into soft watercolor smears. The candle on the table is now burning lower. Their tea cups rest on the table, half empty. The mood is deep peace. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 9
اِسْتَمَعَا إِلى المَطَرِ مَعًا. صَارَ صَوْتُ الرَّعْدِ بَعِيدًا، بَعِيدًا. وَنَامَا عَلى الكَنَبَة.
They listened to the rain together. The sound of the thunder became far, far away. And they fell asleep on the couch.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A quiet watercolor scene of father and child asleep together on the couch under a soft woolen blanket. The child's head rests on the father's chest. The candle has burned down to a small stub but still glows. Outside the window, the rain has softened, and a hint of dawn-blue lightens the edge of the sky. A peaceful, intimate ending. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
Page 10
في الخَارِج، عَاصِفَة. في الدَّاخِل، شَايٌ وَشَمْعَةٌ وَبَابَا.
Outside, a storm. Inside, tea and a candle and Baba.
🎨 Illustration prompt
A final watercolor image: a wide view of the apartment building from outside in the soft early morning after the storm. The streets are wet and shining. Most of the windows are still dark, but one window on the third floor glows with the last of the candlelight. Through that window, the small silhouettes of father and child asleep on the couch can just barely be seen. A few stars are starting to peek through the clearing sky. Watercolor style. No text in the image.
كَلِمَاتٌ جَدِيدَة · New Words
| Arabic | How to say it | English |
|---|---|---|
عَاصِفَة |
ʿā-ṣi-fah | storm |
رَعْد |
raʿd | thunder |
بَرْق |
barq | lightning |
مَطَر |
ma-ṭar | rain |
شَمْعَة |
shamʿah | candle |
شَاي النَّعْنَاع |
shāy an-naʿ-nāʿ | mint tea |
خَوْف |
khawf | fear |
أَمَان |
a-mān | safety |
حَبِيبِي |
ḥa-bī-bī | my dear (term of endearment) |
🗣️ Talk about it
These are not test questions — they're conversation starters. Pick one. Ask. Listen.
The boy was afraid of the thunder. What is something that sometimes makes you feel scared? What helps you feel better?
Baba said: "The storm is outside, and safety is inside." What does "safety" feel like to you? Is it a person? A place? A smell? A sound?
When the lights went out, Baba lit a candle and made tea instead of being upset. Why do you think he did that? Have you ever seen a grown-up turn a hard moment into a cozy one?
✏️ Try it
Pick one:
- Make mint tea with a grown-up. Smell the fresh mint before it goes in the cup. Hold the warm glass in both hands. Notice how it feels.
- Draw your "safe place" — the place or person you go to when you feel scared. Add the things that make it cozy: a blanket, a light, a cup of something warm.
- The next time it rains, sit by a window with someone you love. Don't say anything for one whole minute. Just listen.
A note for grown-ups reading along
In Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine, power cuts are a regular part of life — sometimes scheduled, often not. Candles, small lanterns, and battery lamps are kept in every kitchen drawer. For many Levantine kids, the smell of a candle being lit is tied directly to the memory of a parent staying calm when the lights went out. This story is built on that real, shared experience.
Mint tea (shāy bi-naʿnāʿ) is the everyday tea of Levantine homes — black tea with fresh mint leaves dropped right into the glass. Sweetened or unsweetened, it's a small ritual that says: sit down, you're home now.
The Arabic in this story uses full vowel marks (تَشْكِيل) so early readers can sound out each word. Read the Arabic line first if you can. If you don't speak Arabic yet, read the English and point to the Arabic — your child will begin to match the shapes to the sounds.
Read this book again the next time there's a storm. The pairing — a real storm outside, this story inside — is the kind of memory that lasts a lifetime.
— Hayya Beena Naqraa (هَيَّا بِنَا نَقْرَأ)