Results 2023

Juha and the genie Faoushan

Winner 2023 Chapter Book

Results 2023

Juha and the genie Faoushan

Winner 2023 Chapter Book

Book Details

Author Samar Mahfouz Barraj
Illustrator Zarifi Haidar
Publisher Kiwi Stories FZE
Publication Year 2023
Book Size 14 x 20 cm
No. of Pages 96 Pages
ISBN 9789948783251

Book Overview

A story in which many places and times are mixed. Juha, who lives in our days, meets the genie Foshan and other characters from well-known folk tales. Juha, who decides to part with his donkey, Hamhum, meets the genie Faoushan, offering him three wishes. This leads to life-changing encounters. Faoushan's overeager curiosity to discover the world and learn about new places and modern lifestyle, after many years spent in a tea pot, sends Juha each time to a different place and time, and Juha finds discussions, including adapting to modernity, preserving traditions, social media's impact, animal welfare, the significance of looking beyond appearances when judging others and the influence himself in the heart of a new story... This story weaves humor and suspense, captivating young readers. As Juha embarks on fascinating journeys, he discovers a treasure of well-known folk stories, inviting exploration of classic narratives. The story also tackles essential themes for meaningful of marketing strategies in business, etc…. The funny and colorful illustrations add a distinctive artistic touch to the book.

About Author

Samar Mahfouz Barraj is a Lebanese writer and translator of children’s books. She holds a BA degree and a Teaching Diploma from the American University of Beirut. She is married and has two daughters. Her previous long teaching years and working with children helped her nourish a deep passion for writing. Her first book, “I didn’t mean itلم أكن أقصد-” was published by Asala in 2007. She works with different publishers and writes for different age groups. She has more than 63 published books, many of which have been selected on honor lists, shortlisted and long listed for Awards. Five of them won: “when my friend got sickعندما مرضت صديقتي-”, “my grandmother will always remember meجدّتي ستتذكّرني دائمًا-”-which was translated to Spanish- both with Yuki press, “خطّ أحمرRed line"-translated to Turkish and Nepali- and“ صديقي My friend”, and“ A,B…Z ألف ، باء ...ياء، ” with Dar Alsaki. She writes poems, songs and plays for children and works for educational publishers, besides translating more than 100 children books from French, English and Italian. She has also conducts creative writing workshops for children, training workshops for teachers and librarians, and participates in various activities to promote reading among children in book fairs and schools in Lebanon and outside Lebanon, as an author and an active member of LBBY. Samar was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen award for the year 2024.

About Illlustrator

Zarifi Haidar Marín is a Venezuelan-born, Lebanon-based self-taught illustrator. Zarifi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering (2005), a Master’s degree in Urban Design (2016), and has more than 15 years of practical experience in these fields. Being passionate about both, the arts and the built environment, these professions seemed like perfect career choices. Yet, something kept feeling missing until she went back to doodling and drawing. At first, drawing was a way of expressing her frustrations, worries, and even her anxieties (which can be many when you live in a country as complex as Lebanon). She drew almost every day, anytime and anywhere; and, thanks to this practice, she learned to see the world in colors. Today, Zarifi does not only try to find the bright side of things, but she invents it if she cannot find it and she encourage others to do the same. Despite her untraditional path, Zarifi has achieved recognition as both an artist and an award winning children’s book illustrator. She is still learning and drawing everyday but this practice has become her work…a work that she does with a huge smile and a full heart. What does Zarifi want to say with her art? Smile. Cry. Celebrate your emotions and humanity. Contemplate nature, the little miracles and the tiniest of details. Treasure the genuine. Find beauty wherever you are.

About Publisher

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