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Hatem Aly

@metahatem

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NYT bestselling Illustrator of THE INQUISITOR'S TALE,THE PROUDEST BLUE, IN MY MOSQUE, SALAT IN SECRET...and more. -Rep by @brightagencyus 🇪🇬🇨🇦

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💙 BOOK REVIEW | The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️

This picture book opens meaningful conversations about identity, courage, kindness and belonging.

Written by @ibtihajmuhammad with @skalibooks, illustrated by @metahatem, and published by @andersenpress.

The story follows sisters Faizah and Asiya on Asiya’s first day wearing hijab to school.

For Asiya, her blue hijab is a joyful and meaningful milestone. For Faizah, watching her sister begin this new chapter fills her with admiration and pride.

Through Faizah’s eyes, we experience the excitement of choosing a first hijab, the love between two sisters and the difficult moments that arise when others do not understand differences.

I loved how the story presents hijab as more than clothing. It represents faith, identity, confidence, family and the freedom to be proud of who you are. 💕

The book also gently shows children how hurtful words can affect others, while encouraging strength, compassion and courage.

The sisterly bond between Faizah and Asiya is at the heart of the story. Their relationship feels warm and genuine, making this a lovely book to read aloud with siblings or as a family.

Now talking about the illustrations, they are absolutely stunning. The colour blue appears throughout the pages, making the hijab feel joyful, powerful and full of life.

I love books that help children feel seen while developing empathy for others, and The Proudest Blue does this beautifully.

This is a wonderful addition our children’s library.

It is especially meaningful for Muslim children who wear hijab or may be preparing to wear it, but its message is universal.

⭐ Rating: 5/5
👧 Recommended age: 4–8 years

📍 Available at The Cozy Corner – Children’s Library in Bahria Enclave, Islamabad.

💬 Have you read The Proudest Blue with your children? What did they think of the story or the beautiful blue illustrations?

#TheProudestBlue #IbtihajMuhammad #MuslimChildrensBooks #ChildrensBookReview #DiverseChildrensBooks HijabForKids PictureBookReview IslamabadMoms HomeschoolPakistan

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The harsh winter is approaching 💔

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It’s National Write a Review Week! Have you seen the green shelf talkers written by ECB booksellers around the shop? 👀 Check out some of these picture books we love and the shelf talkers we wrote for them…

💚 I WILL EAT YOU IN THE END by David Duff & Marianna Coppo

“Weird, funny, melancholy, existential…I loved it!”

— Amy

💚 THE WISE PICKLE by Sarah Howden & Sabina Hahn

“Absurd, hilarious, philosophical — great for fans of Jon Klassen! This pickle has lived a lot of life…”

— Stevie

💚 EVERYDAY BEAN by Stephanie Graegin

“Utterly delightful slice-of-life stories with the CUTEST hedgie ever! I wish I could pick giant strawberries and tell stories with Bean and Grandma…

P.S. Check out the sequel, BEAN SUPREME!”

— Maggie

💚 WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN by X. Fang

“These ‘folks’ really have the definition of humanness summed up! Infinitely quotable!”

— Sarah

💚 WOO HOO! YOU’RE DOING GREAT by Sandra Boynton

“Who doesn’t love a new Sandra Boynton book?!

P.S. You’re doing great!”

— Keith

💚 THE BOOK THAT ALMOST RHYMED by Omar Abed & Hatem Aly

“Such a clever, fun, and surprising read-aloud!”

— Marianne

💚 THE PIZZA BROTHERS by Lian Cho

“I love pizza and I love Lian Cho, so this is my ideal book! Love this tale of three brothers discovering what fairness and teamwork really look like. Silly and sweet!”

— Amy

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Help support Hamza's education! Despite everything Hamza is determined to continue his studies and build his future. Hamza needs lots of help from people like you to raise urgent funds for a device to continue! Hamza needs a large sum to purchase essential equipment in order to do his schoolwork, and enough monthly support to afford his education fees in addition to the cost of his family's daily necessities. Hamza works very hard to maintain a top score in his class, and his last year of high school couldn't be more critical as he is studying for the Tawjihi examination, which will determine his university options and his future. Follow his journey @hamz._2009

Please SHARE his urgent education support appeal far and wide, COMMENT a full sentence, LIKE, SAVE, SHARE to your stories, and REPOST!

Please send Hamza whatever you are able to meet his immediate goals. He would be so grateful if you could pitch in the cost of a coffee to his family campaign monthly to help them meet their daily needs. Your support carries hope for families that continue to endure the hardships of survival.

Thank you to everyone who helps spread this appeal far and wide!

Artwork @alicja_illustration

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Hispanic Heritage Month & Islamic Heritage Month in Rm 22! Shout-out to my amazing local @torontolibrary for hookin' up the amazing books!
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I often start with books/stories to introduce topics and then segway into Visual Arts, Science, and Math to keep the learning going. Because let's be honest, Social studies (History/Geography) & literature aren't the ONLY places to showcase, amplify, and honour diverse voices! And yes, this IS part of my job.
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#TeachingArrows
#MsAsTribe #YoKidsFaveTeacher #ReadMoreBooks
MsAIsThatGirl - MyBlackIsProfessional - WeHaveFunWhenWeLearn - LetMeCook - TalkToMeNice - GodDontPlayBoutMe - ForTheStudentsNotTheSystem - Psalm 127:4 - Colossians 3:23-24

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We are hosting our annual #peacetober art challenge to show solidarity, raise awareness, build community, and most important of all, encourage direct financial support to our incredible families!!! Skip a coffee a day, week, or month and contribute to one of their campaigns directly. We urge everyone to send what you can sustainably afford monthly. ☕☕☕☕

Families have had no income for three years. Savings has been spent. Families rely on our ongoing support! When everyone contributes at least a little, we can help more of them with their individual needs.

Meet Tahani, Hamza, and Wisam's families! Be sure to follow Hamza's new account @hamz._2009 His previous accounts have been disabled and he lost all of his supportive contacts.

Each family campaign can be found on our account or visit CoffeesforGaza.com Don't forget to sign up for our Newsletter to stay up to date whether or not you're on social media!

It would be so wonderful if you could hit those LIKE, SAVE, REPOST, & SHARE buttons!

To open the QR code:
-screenshot the family’s QR code
-open the image in your photos
-press and hold to activate the link

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who help us gather everything we need to share about our wonderful families!

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October is Islamic Heritage and History Month in Canada! SWIPE through, SAVE, SHARE, and REPOST for a mini-collection of books to celebrate this month! Book info is in the captions of each slide.
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Islamic History Month, Islamic Heritage Month, Muslim, inclusive children’s books, diverse children’s books
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#theinclusivebookshelf #IslamicHeritageMonth #IslamicHistoryMontyh #inclusivechildrensbooks #diversechildrensbooks

💎NOOR NEEDS TO KNOW!
✏️: Farhana Islam | 🎨: Nabila Adani | Publisher: Salaam Reads

💎AMINA BANANA AND THE FORMULA FOR FRIENDSHIP
✏️: Shifa Saltagi Safadi | 🎨: Aaliya Jaleel | Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

💎KHADIJA AND THE ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE EXPERIMENT
✏️: Farah Qaiser & Hajer Nakua | 🎨: Natayla Tariq | Publisher: Second Story Press

💎IN MY MOSQUE
✏️: M.O. Yuksel | 🎨: Hatem Aly | Publisher: Harper

💎RED SHOES
✏️: Karen English | 🎨: Ebony Glenn | Publisher: Scholastic Press

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#Peacetober2026 Day 12: Share

'Mutual aid--where we choose to help each other out, share things, and put time and resources caring for the most vulnerable--is a radical act. '

~Dean Spade

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@coffeesforgaza is a grassroot collective that fundraises for families in Falasteen through artivism. We are honoured to know 25 families since May 2024. We amplify their stories and campaigns to direct the global community to support these families. Direct donations allows families to purchase essentials depending on their unique needs.

This includes day-to-day neccessities like food, water, baby supplies, shelter along with emergency funds for medical care, and displacements.

How can you help?

☕ Become a monthly family sponsor
☕ Like, comment and share content posted by @coffeesforgaza
☕ Ask friends and family to support CFG families through regular monetary support
☕ Sign up for the newsletter to get updates about the families and our active fundraising efforts
☕ Join our upcoming peacetober art auction (stay tuned to learn more)
☕ Share your skills, time and resources by volunteering with CFG

Every step counts and makes a significant difference!

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#mutualaid #dailyquotes

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We'd love to introduce you to three more of the 25 family campaigns that @coffeesforgaza has uplifted for the past 2.5 years.

The purpose of #peacetober2026 is to create art that raises awareness and financial support for them, so swipe through to learn more about Nosiba, Qusay Hany, and Salam's families.

Each family has specific goals and unique needs that require the support of people just like you. Please share their stories and consider contributing the cost of a takeout coffee (or several) as sign of solidarity and love.

You can find each family's campaign by using the QR code on their slides or from our account for a complete list of all our families' campaigns, or visit coffeesforgaza.com

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#Peacetober2026 Day 9: Whale

Jummah Mubaraka world.

A lot of us know the story of Prophet Younus (Jonah) and the whale. When he found himself inside the belly of the whale, he was overwhelmed with despair. It is at that moment that he cried out to Allah SWT to ask for forgiveness and support.

Despite having community, there are times when we feel isolated and surrounded by darkness. I find it comforting how no matter how alone I feel, I always have Allah SWT to return to. To share my worries and by hopes with. For He alone can change my circumstances. And even when things don't go as planned, I know that years later, it might make sense. InshaaAllah (God Willing).

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@coffeesforgaza is running an artvism challenge this month. The peacetober prompts are a great way to reflect, rechannel our energy and focus on things around us. But they are also a call to action.

We encourage you to direct you actions and support to families in Gza. Swipe to learn how and follow CFG to keep amplifying families in Falasteen. 🤍

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#islamicreminders #storyofwhale #inktober

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#peacetober2026 Day 1: Birds

What beautiful, majestic beings? Freely flying from one place to another...they don't restrict themselves to borders or regulations.

That is Nature's order.

Something, humans have forgotten.

Instead of moving freely like the birds and exploring this vast world, we have created borders to exploit people and places.

That truly is the greatest tragedy of humanity. The lack of morals, principles and tolerance. 💔

This verse from the Holy Quran is a reminder of how flawless nature is and Who truly has control over everything. Allah SWT. The One who is All-Seeing and All-Knowing.

Restless beings might have disrupted the order but we can still rebuild a better world InshaaAllah.

We can do this by not conforming to oppressive systems or engaging in the spectacle. We can do this by closely observing and cherising Nature so we can learn...to move freely, grow gently, and unlearn the systems that cage us.

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Birds often fly in flocks.

We are also nothing without community. Alhumdillah I am lucky to have found mine in this virtual space.

This month, many creative friends of mine aim to support families in Falasteen. We do this every day of the year, but #peacetober is one time when we can come together as global collective to help prepare families in G❤ for winter.

If you have the means to, sign up to become a monthly sponsor. You can become amplify and donate to campaigns individually and share their stories with your social circle both online and offline.

Consistent monetary support can ensure families get access to everyday essentials and have enough to overcome unexpected challenges.

Want to know more?

Follow @coffesforgaza for all the info 📝

#peacetober2026 #inktober #islamicreminders

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It’s a great time to do good things 🥰 we are all excited for the collective creativity you’ll be bringing this month and want to thank you for joining in!

Here are some things to know about Peacetober - drop a comment if you’re ready to go, and tag a friend who’d be keen to try it out!

Let’s go! ❤️

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