Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – “Read” was the first word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Although we are the nation of “Read,” there is a deficit of colorful, fun, interesting, high quality Arabic children's books that motivate children to pick up a book and never put it down. In comparison, the children's literature in the West and the level and variety of children's books in the Kingdom and the Arab world in general fall short. Some factors that have contributed to the disparity between English and Arabic children's books were explained by Arwa Khomayyies, author of thirteen children's books, publisher and assistant professor at the department of art and design at King Abdulaziz University. Khomayyies' passion and skill in writing won her several awards such as the Golden Book Award for best children's book at the Sharjah Reading Festival 2006. She has also written a novel titled “On the Swing, Secrets Scattered” that explores the many roles women play in Saudi society such as mother, sister, daughter, woman with a career, and wife. “There are a number of factors involved and each segment of society attributes blame to the other. Good authors lack the incentive to write children's books because often the books sit on shelves of bookstores for long periods of time, sales are low, and there is minimal or no financial profit. “Publishing houses claim that the cost of printing is high because the demand for books is low; there are not enough readers in society. “And on the other hand, the average mother complains that it is difficult to find attractive children's books in the Arabic language,” said Khomayyies. She added that the concept of the book as a profitable product, or a valuable commodity, and the collaboration of all segments of society to produce great books which makes books so widespread in Western communities. According to Khomayyies, there is a big difference when it comes to the printing of books. The printing houses in the Kingdom, Khomayyies said, require the author to print a minimum of 3,000 copies because that is the expected average number of books to be sold in the local market, as compared to the UK where the author must print 10,000 copies in the first run. Saudi Society has come a long way: readership has increased, the average educational level has gone up and the society's awareness on a host of issues has also elevated but still a lot needs to be done to promote reading in the Kingdom. “Some families still do not appreciate the significance of books in a child's life. Parents may be willing to spend a lot of money on an expensive toy for their kids but not a pricey child's book. “Nonetheless, we must acknowledge that more and more people are becoming interested in reading and there is a wider variety of books available in recent years. “There are also more publishing houses today than there were in previous years,” said Khomayyies. Her most recent children's book “I am Roomi” was put on display at the Red Sea Mall and it drew dozens of enthusiastic young readers and their parents. The book is about a little girl who is picky about her wardrobe; she hates to wear pink, puffy dresses. But her style sometimes contradicts with what her mother wants her to wear. However, the mother and daughter always figure out a way to compromise and settle their differences. The book encourages children to think about their problems and find solutions to it. At the end of the book is a page on which children can pen down their problems and suggestion to overcome it. During the book event at the Red Sea Mall, large posters were hung on the wall where children could also participate in the activity. The author was surprised and impressed with some of the children's insights into their own problems. “One child wrote that he frequently gets frustrated and angry. He came up with his own solutions; he wrote that he will drink a cold glass of lemonade or punch his pillow to release his anger,” said Khomayyies. What makes “I am Roomi” so unique is the exquisitely creative and imaginative illustration.
“The illustrations have been executed by using a mixed media technique (combing photography and illustration). “The artist, Hanane Kai, would construct the background elements by hand and then photo shoot them. “She then adds the characters post-rendering as illustrations. The illustrative work is appealing to kids, their parents, and other artists too,” said Khomayyies. To share her love of books and encourage reading in her society, Khomayyies founded a book club for women in Jeddah. This year there are 30 members in her book club who meet once a month to discuss, analyze, and write their own book reviews for a selected book.
