Queens Gazette

Children’s Book Competes For Graphic Novel Of The Year


Habibti Pada, a multicultural graphic novel for elementary school readers, has been named a finalist for the 2022 Forward INDIES Book of the Year. The story focuses on Pada, a 10-year- old African girl who immigrates to the Middle East where she faces off against a new lan­guage, a new culture, and new monsters taken from Arab mythology. It is the only self-pub­lished book in the category and creator Ameen Beydoun hopes to upset larger independent publishers for the title.

Habibti Pada, a multicultural graphic novel for elementary school readers, has been named a finalist for the 2022 Forward INDIES Book of the Year. The story focuses on Pada, a 10-year- old African girl who immigrates to the Middle East where she faces off against a new lan­guage, a new culture, and new monsters taken from Arab mythology. It is the only self-pub­lished book in the category and creator Ameen Beydoun hopes to upset larger independent publishers for the title.

Paperback copies are available for purchase at ameen-beydoun.square.site/ at $10.00 each or $15.00 for the Book 1 and 2 package. Follow Pada on Instagram.

Habibti Pada, a children’s book about a young African girl that immigrates to the Middle East, has been selected as a Finalist for Graphic Novel of the Year at the 2023 Forward INDIES Book Awards. The book is the only self-published work in the cate­gory and will compete against more estab­lished publishers like Fantagraphics and Storm King Comics for Graphic Novel of the Year.

“It’s very validating,” said Ameen Bey­doun, Forest Hills native and creator of the series. “In 2020, I moved from Kenya back to Queens and began writing in the midst of a global pandemic. I had no experience in comic books whatsoever. Now I’m a fi­nalist for Comic Book of the Year? Watch out Fantagraphics, I’m coming for the throne!”

The Habibti Pada series tells the story of Pada, a 10-year-old African girl and recent immigrant to the Middle East. Over the course of the two books, Pada makes new friends, learns a new language (or at least a few choice phrases), and wrestles with a new culture. The stories are told intimately and realistically, save for one magical mo­ment that breaks the slice-of-life realism in each book. Pada has to use her newly learned Arabic phrases to overcome these fantastic obstacles and save her friends. Or at the very least, her brother’s soccer ball.

 

 

All in all, Habibti Pada will appeal most to children interested in learning new lan­guages and new mythologies. It’s kind of like if Dora the Explorer were a little older and a little more African.

Ameen Beydoun, author of Habibti Pada.

Ameen Beydoun, author of Habibti Pada.

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