Why did I create this book?
Like so many families, my husband and I come from multilingual backgrounds.
We're both originally Lebanese and speak three languages fluently, and a
fourth one strenuously. We would like to pass that skill on to our two wonderful sons.
We're both originally Lebanese and speak three languages fluently, and a
fourth one strenuously. We would like to pass that skill on to our two wonderful sons.
After thorough research, we were not able to find interesting and
engaging bilingual stories for our kids to enjoy. We started with the "word for
word" books, which are important, but our eldest learned them quickly and needed more. We then moved to the stories with a separate repeated paragraph for each language. He lost interest in them, fast. It was too repetitive.
engaging bilingual stories for our kids to enjoy. We started with the "word for
word" books, which are important, but our eldest learned them quickly and needed more. We then moved to the stories with a separate repeated paragraph for each language. He lost interest in them, fast. It was too repetitive.
So if you can't find, create!
Initially, I wrote a simple story for us to enjoy during the pandemic and printed
my first "homemade" book. My Eureka moment came after seeing how fun it was for my sons and how quickly the learned. They began repeating and translating what we were reading, and screamed with excitement "Encore Zo et Noé! "
After that, I shared my idea with a few close friends who are also interested in teaching languages to their little ones, and it blossomed into this project.
Who is behind this project?
Faten Baassiri - Creator
I'm an Interior Architect and a Product Designer by training. I have two beautiful sons. My husband and I are making sure they get the best education we can offer them - hence, this project. People always wonder where we're from when they hear us talk, because our modern Lebanese dialect is a mix of three languages: Arabic, French and English. That's one of the many beautiful complexities of being from Lebanon! We are based in New York and absolutely love the city. Something charming about it is the different cultures you encounter from one street to another.
Hanane Kai - Illustrator
I'm an illustrator based in the mountains of Lebanon. My team, my right hand Maya Akiki, and I made the images you're seeing here. Like most Lebanese people I speak three languages, so je comprends Zo and Noé when they speak to me. Zo insisted that his color should be vellow, so I couldn't say no. I've illustrated around 20 children's books, but this one is my first for toddlers. I hope you love it as much as I do!
