"The Missing Number Book, No More!"
Second title in our Diverse Children's Books Series!
Critically-acclaimed Counting (number) picture book (2019)
After the extraordinary success of P is for Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book, Golbarg Bashi teamed up with the gifted artist Nabi H. Ali to publish the second book in the Dr. Bashi Diverse Books Series, namely 'Counting Up the Olive Tree: A Palestine Number Book' — a rhythmic, earth-friendly adventure where little Palestinian football (soccer) players, boys and girls, try to save an olive tree — helping young readers practice counting the numbers!
A new fully illustrated counting 123 book about Palestine, from the author and publisher of the critically-acclaimed P is for Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book a bold diverse children's book successfully crowd-fundraised on Launchgood.com!
Our Counting Up The Olive Tree: A Palestine Number Book is a social justice homage to Bill Martin Jr. and his Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. A legendary classic children’s book we love.
Excerpt from the book:
"When the woeful woodcutter came to cut down the last olive tree
The kids cried,
'Please don’t cut our precious tree in our land yet to be free!'
. . .
Player number 1 told player number 2,
get hold of number 3
who told 4,
'we must protect the last olive tree,
all of us and some more.'
. . .
Tlick - Tlock Tlick - Tlock
Will there be enough time?
. . .
Snoring cracking humming and roaring!
. . .
Wait! The woeful woodcutter is waking up,
no longer snoring!"
To find out what happens next, as children practice counting the numbers (cultivating their math skills), buy your copy or copies of our large, fully illustrated children's picture book Counting Up The Olive Tree: A Palestine Number Book from PM PRESS.
Palestine on Children's Map
For decades, in the U.S. children's book publishing industry, the slightest trace of bold Palestinian children's names and stories have been barred from publication and thus denied to generations of American children--furthermore, voices speaking on behalf of Palestinian freedom have been suppressed whether they be in a theatre play, a music concert, in a university classroom or even publication of a small children's ABC book financed through a long and modest crowd-fundraiser.
We know this firsthand as our own small contribution, the publication of our P is for Palestine in 2017 was and continues to be met with astonishing levels of attacks, resulting in the virtual banning of our book in American bookstores and libraries (forced on by actual threats of financial boycott and/or violence and outrageous and unconstitutional legal actions by Israel Advocates on American institutions and businesses).
Perhaps, the words of Dr. Yousef Munayyer, the Executive Director for USCPR (link) can convey why we do what we do as a small independent publisher, as fellow marginalized, underrepresented, former child refugees from the Middle East:
"As a Palestinian living in the United States, I pay close attention to how American media and popular culture talk about our people and homeland. There is no escaping the pervasive, constant pro-Israel bias and harmful stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims. The racist portrayal of us as violent, angry, irrational, uncivilized, and incapable of living in peace with their neighbors is far too common. As an adult, I am able to see these narratives for what they are, and guard and work against them. But I am constantly concerned about how these negative stereotypes are impacting our kids, and how they might shape their thinking about their identity and our homeland. [Golbarg Bashi's] P is for Palestine is exactly the kind of positive reinforcement needed by children whose identity is constantly under attack. Sadly, that is also why the book has come under fire from from Zionist critics seeking to take it off book shelves and cancel public book readings." (link)
More on P is for Palestine!
The Missing Number Book
The tradition of number books goes back at least a century--helping children become familiarized with numbers and basic math skills well before school start. There are currently countless number books about themes and countries in the world—helping inform children about any number of topics, nations and cultures other than their own by also cultivating basic math skills. 'Canada 1 2 3,' 'We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania,' 'Counting on Community,' 'Around the World in Numbers,' 'Count Me In! A Parade of Mexican Folk Art Numbers,' and more etc…But none about or for Palestine in English. Until now!
Support Us!
By donating towards our future series and spreading the word about our work, you enable us, a woman-minority owned publisher under constant attack by Israel Advocates, to make a living and have the freedom and independence to bring empowering social justice, educational books to children world-wide! Thank you!
Photo Library: P is for Palestine