This month’s Author Spotlight is Maysa Odeh, debut author of A Map for Falasteen, a heartfelt picture book about a Palestinian American child’s search for home illustrated by Aliaa Betawi.
What was your inspiration behind this book?
Maysa: In 2021, I saw the besieged people of Gaza endure yet another military aggression that claimed the lives of more than 250 people, including 55 children. Though I’ve watched this violence from a distance my entire life, witnessing it as a mother shocked me in a new and unexpected way. I found myself wondering how I would explain the occupation of Palestine to my daughter. When I was growing up, I quickly learned that being Palestinian was frowned upon and processed this in solitude, sharing my background selectively, if at all. I don’t want other kids to suffer in silence. I want them to feel seen and validated. Hopefully, I’ve achieved that with this book.
Do you have a favorite spread/text in the book?
Maysa: A Map for Falasteen is full of references to other poems and paintings and events that I hope will inspire readers to learn more about Palestine. I’m proud of the Nakba spread, which pays homage to Sliman Mansour’s iconic Camel of Burden painting, and also the back cover, which echoes Naji El-Ali’s famous Handala character. There is a scene where Falasteen is sitting on a wall, watching children play. This is the separation wall that surrounds the West Bank, isolating it from the rest of Palestine. The goldfish that appear throughout the book were inspired by a line in I Saw Ramallah, in which Mourid Barghouti says of the refugee, “the homeland does not leave the body until the last moment, the moment of death. The fish, even in the fisherman’s net, still smells of the sea.”
My favorite line might be when Mama says “they think our freedom makes them less free, but it’s wrong to deny a people their home, Palestine lives in you and me.” It points to the absurdity of the status quo: 76 years of daily subjugation of Palestinians in an effort to maintain an apartheid regime.
What is one thing that you want your readers to take away from this book?
Maysa: There has been a lot of discussion about the benefits of representation in children’s books and it comes up frequently in conversations about A Map For Falasteen. For me, a book like this is less about representation and more about countering the rampant dehumanization of Palestinians in American media. This dehumanization justified, in advance, the event we are all witnessing today: a live-streamed genocide. I want readers to understand what the Nakba is and to realize it has never ended.
One of the core themes of the book explores refugees’ diasporic relationships with home and the feelings of confusion and curiosity that can emerge from that. Why bring this element into a story for very young children?
Maysa: These are feelings that I experienced as a young child, so it was natural for me to address them. The unasked questions I harbored helped guide my writing. While my parents had a strong connection to Palestine based on lived experience, I did not see Palestine until I was a teenager. I was timid to express my confusion to my father, for example, who can draw a map of Palestine from memory, like Falasteen’s jido does in the book. In addition to growing up physically removed from our homeland, Palestinians in diaspora are confronted with many forces that work to negate both our history and present. So, it was important for me to be honest with my young readers. Yes, it’s confusing to have never seen your homeland. It’s confusing not to find it on a map in school. It’s confusing when someone says to you that you don’t exist. Let’s talk about it rather than hide the pain that radiates from these unspoken questions.
In the story, there is a double entendre because the young girl’s name is Falasteen, which is Arabic for Palestine. Falasteen’s mother constantly reminds her that “Palestine lives in you and me.” Did you always plan for the main character’s name to reflect her homeland?
Maysa: Yes, her name was always Falasteen. All the terms of endearment that her grandparents and her mother shower upon her, rohi– my soul, albi– my heart, omri – my life, express their deep love for their homeland which mirrors their love for their child. In my opinion, Palestinians are a people best defined by their love for their children, followed by their love for their homeland.
In your author’s note, you say, “Like many other children of refugees, I grew up searching for my homeland on every map I got my hands on…Year after year, I waited for my teachers to tell my people’s story, but they never did. And yet, I was hesitant to ask my parents questions about Palestine.” If there was one thing that you could tell your younger self now, what would it be?
Maysa: I would give her this book and I would tell her that asking questions tends to make the world a less scary and lonely place. That there are millions of kids just like her around the world, dealing with the consequences of colonization and displacement.
What part of the debut author experience surprised you the most?
Maysa: My biggest fear when the book went to auction was choosing a publisher that would try to dilute my story. But we met our editor, Dana, and immediately knew we were in safe hands. Then, we met Miriam, our artistic director, and the rest of the team at Macmillan, and became certain that we had made the right choice. The editing process was incredibly difficult for a book as personal as mine, but I never felt misunderstood or stifled or unsafe. This has been the biggest blessing and surprise.
Tell us about a librarian or educator who made an impact on you.
Maysa: My high school English teacher, Sharon Froba. At a time when some teachers at my school were rallying support for the Iraq War by demonizing Arabs and Muslims, Ms. Froba organized a district wide event called the Day of Respect. On this day, she brought people from marginalized communities to speak to students about what it was like to be born into the wrong class or color, or with a disability. She invited me to participate as the youngest speaker, and I was deeply moved by the compassionate response I received from my peers. I still have all their thank you notes.
What was your favorite book when you were a young reader?
Maysa: The book I checked out on every other trip to the library was Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. Despite being very young, the main character, Cassie Lightfoot, understands that her father’s work opportunities and inability to join a union are due to his being black and indigenous. She lays on her roof, ‘tar beach’, and daydreams about being powerful enough to rectify the social injustice that impacts her family. But as she daydreams, Cassie isn’t sad or angry. She’s having fun and breaking the rules and making the world better all at once. She is magnificent. And by the end, she even takes her little brother along for a ride.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maysa Odeh is a Palestinian writer who grew up between Amman, Jordan and the United States. Her debut picture book was written during the assault on Gaza in 2021, which sparked a conversation between herself and her inner child. A Map for Falasteen answers the questions she was too shy to ask as a child of Palestinian refugees. Maysa resides in California with her four year old daughter, Malak, who asks questions all day long in Arabic and English, and sometimes even in her sleep.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search for Home
by Maysa Odeh; illustrated by Aliaa Betawi
Ages 4-8
On Sale October 22nd
A young Palestinian girl living in diaspora struggles to find her homeland on a map in this gentle and heartfelt picture book.
At school, Falasteen and her classmates are tasked with finding their families’ home countries on a map, but no matter how hard she looks, Falasteen can’t find Palestine.
Can a place exist if it’s not on a map? Confused, Falasteen turns to her family for answers. Her grandfather, grandmother, and Mama encourage her to see their homeland from a different perspective, and each of their stories helps her understand her people’s history and her own place in the world.
Filled with beautiful, inspiring illustrations and thoughtful back matter that outlines key terms and historical moments, this is a story of family, resilience and home always being where the heart is.
PRAISE FOR A MAP FOR FALASTEEN
★”While Falasteen learns of the destruction of Palestine, she also learns that she can turn to people and experiences to find the country itself. . . . With descriptive text and beautiful illustrations, this timely book is heavy with sadness yet buoyed by hope. A powerful read-aloud that will invite important discussions.” —Booklist,starred review
★”[A Map for Falasteen] fills a gap in representations of the Palestinian diaspora, offering a much-needed insider’s perspective. . . . A haunting, powerful, and crucial tale of culture and identity.” —Kirkus, starred review
★”Betawi renders Falasteen’s immediate surroundings in yellows and oranges that give way to deep-blue remembrances, while Odeh sensitively narrates this double debut about a family’s culture and homeland.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
