On November 14th, I stood before a crowd of 150 authors, illustrators, publishers, media, and VIPs to present the culmination of a year of extraordinary work. The truth is a good picturebook, where both the text and illustrations equally tell a story, takes not less than 2-3 years to produce. This truth was shattered as we fast-forwarded time to produce 20 excellent Arabic picturebooks in less than one year. When I initially met our 3 publishers to explain this project, they …didn’t really believe me but strangely agreed to join. Maybe it was because sometimes we want to believe in the unbelievable. Maybe we all secretly wanted this project, where these 20 books would be printed into 600,000 copies and distributed for free across the local and refugee children of Jordan, but were too cowardly to believe we could do it. Yet now, after standing there and witnessing the excitement of our team and their families, after seeing the Minister of Education in the front row silently hand-signaling to me asking whether he could come on stage and speak too, and after reading countless thank you notes and FB posts and Whatsapp messages, I have learned something that in my heart I have always known. That a crazy dream, your story, no matter which way you write it, can come true. Thank you Room to Read, Dubai Cares, and the people of Jordan. And to many more outrageous achievements. @ The Children’s Museum Jordan – متحف الأطفال الأردن
More information available here: https://www.roomtoread.org/jordan/
Dina Elabd 