Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian-Egyptian-Muslim writer, academic, former lawyer, and the multi-award-winning author of eleven books published in more than twenty countries, including the novel Does My Head Look Big in This? and a graphic novel series. She has been nominated twice for the Astrid Lindgren Award. She lives in Sydney, Australia. Maxine Beneba Clarke is an Australian poet and writer of Afro-Caribbean descent. She is the author of five books for children, including The Patchwork Bike, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner and Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year, and the author-illustrator of the critically acclaimed picture book When We Say Black Lives Matter and Fashionista.
Alongside the lyrical definitions of love, the textured, bright, collagelike illustrations beautifully chronicle the family’s journey. The photographs of cherished memories are deftly interwoven alongside scenes of the characters building a new life. . . Relying on cultural touches such as a keffiyeh that one character wears, the story offers a glimpse into the lives of a Palestinian family uprooted from their home. A tender tale of love and remembrance. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) We all know that language can be nuanced, but the idea of there being 11 different words for 11 different sorts of love is simply delightful. . . Vibrant pastel illustrations from Clarke add depth and context, depicting love among intergenerational, biological, and chosen families. Eleven Words for Love can be described as a bilingual concept book and can be integrated creatively in writing, SEL, and art activities. —Booklist Current events add sharp poignancy to this explanation of the nuanced meanings of 11 Arabic words that describe love. Besides introducing the foreign language and its calligraphy, the book will help children understand distinct relationships recognized by English speakers, too. —The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette If you’ve ever thought English needed more words for different kinds of love, you’ll appreciate the Arabic expressions highlighted in this book. —We Are Teachers