When my niece was four or five years old, I used to teach her—at a very elementary level—the Arabic letters. Since it was just me and her, I used to make up mnemonics catered to her to help her with letter recognition.
For example, in differentiating jeem (ج)، Haa (ح)، and khaa (خ), I had her think of them as crocodiles (you see it, right?). For jeem, I told her to think of “J for Jasmine.” Like Princess Jasmine, jeem’s belly button is showing. Are you picturing a Princess Jasmine crocodile? For Haa, I told her the crocodile is feeling too hot (Haar in Arabic) and that’s why it’s not wearing anything (i.e. it has no dot). Khaa was for khabbaaz, which means baker, and the dot on its head is of course a baker’s hat. Basically, I would connect what she had yet to learn with things she already knew and understood. This strategy would often lead us into tangents and side conversations, but it was a unique and special learning experience.
One day, out of the blue, she asked me, “Miyam, are butterflies in the Qur’an?” I thought it was the cutest, most whimsical question. And, of course, I had no idea of the answer. She made me want to know though. Even more, she made me appreciate the innocent, out-of-the-box thinking of children. Her sense of wonderment inspired me to write about her.
Soon after, I wrote a rhyming story about a curious girl who asked her teacher this question one day. Back then, I thought it was quite good and my sister and I planned to turn it into a book. It never panned out, and I am so thankful.
After writing “Nusayba Knows Her Worth,” I completely rewrote “Are Butterflies in the Qur’an?” In the years since I first put pen to paper, I became a mother myself and became more deeply acquainted with how kids learn and think. I feel especially excited about this book, which explores inquiry-based, child-led learning. It will still be months before it’s ready, but I hope you all will enjoy “Nusayba Knows Her Worth” so much that you’ll trust me to take you on a second adventure.
Golden Butterfly Books 