A serious topic handled perfectly for children. This story and the illustrations are both beautiful and memorable. The voyage of a refugee is hard and this book illustrates those difficulties while leaving room for hope and the ability to carry home with us wherever we go.

"My little moon, we're like birds now. They carry their home in their hearts and live in the sky."

When war comes to Aleppo, Dounia's family is forced to flee. The young girl must leave the only home she has ever known to find a safe place to live. Luckily her resilience and hopes for the future create the magic the family needs to pull them through.

Seeing the world through Dounia's eyes provides a much needed lesson in empathy for both children and adults who have little tolerance for immigrants.

I loved reading this book with my son. I loved all that it entailed. The description below is what sold me. This is a must read. Highly recommend!

Elegant, eye-catching artwork beautifully illustrates one young girl’s strength and resilience as she takes an active part in her own destiny.

When war comes to Dounia's village of Aleppo, Syria she and her grandparents must flee to find a new home. Not only have the bombs destroyed her beautiful village but has killed her pet canary, Kiki. The family needs to gather only essential belongings before fleeing. Dounia brings a handful of the baraka seeds the spice seller gave to her the day before. He tells her they are magical. While they journey to safer lands, Dounia drops seeds along the way. She notices that each time she drops one, their journey becomes less frightful as they venture to their new home.

Marya Zarif takes this incredibly heart breaking story and shows how you can find hope in the darkest hours. This is truly a breath-taking novel that every teacher needs to have in their classrooms! This story speaks to so many emotions especially in light of the current situation in Syria. This refugee story, albeit heart-wrenching, is full of optimism. The illustrations are stunning and much like the power behind the words, they moved me to tears.

In a Nutshell: A magical realism story about a little girl from Syria who finds solace through her stock of magical seeds.

Dounia lives a happy carefree life with her grandparents in Aleppo, Syria. But when a bomb explodes in their verandah, her grandpa decides that it's time for them to move out of Aleppo. While Dounia doesn't want to leave her home, she knows that they have no choice. Though the journey ahead seems scary, but Dounia knows that everything will be well because she's carrying magical baraka seeds along with her. And sure enough, the seeds step up whenever Dounia needs assistance.

This book was originally published two years ago in French under the title "Dounia". This is the translated English edition, due to be published on 14th March 2023.

The story sure is imaginative. While it takes facts from the war in Syria and the refugee crisis, it adds magical realism through the seeds that seem capable of granting Dounia's deepest desires.

Dounia means "the world" in Arabic. And the little Dounia in this book embodies that wholeness through her kind and embracing nature. Her chirpy personality shines through on every page. Also getting a prime place in the narrative is the city of Aleppo, which feels so real with the picturesque descriptions.

What's never explained is why Dounia was with her grandparents instead of her parents. This doesn't affect the story but it left me curious.

The author is a Syrian who emigrated to Canada. As an OwnVoices author, she brings great authenticity to this picture book, with the scenes, beliefs and lifestyle of Syria coming out vividly through her words.

The illustrations, sketched by the author herself, are somewhat quirky (especially in the way the grandparents are sketched) but they work for the book. Dounia won my heart with her twinkly eyes, genuine smile, and voluminous black hair that seems to have a life of its own. I loved the way she added hidden detailing in the background scenes of every page.

This book highlights the problems faced by war refugees, though a part of me feels that it oversimplified the matter. Moreover, the incorporation of the miraculous seeds into the tragic storyline trivialises the problem to a certain extent. But it is a book meant for children, so the book still opens up to the broader world the problem faced by refugees in war-torn nations. The author’s note at the end adds the perfect touch of poignancy.

This is a picture book meant for early readers aged 4-7 years. As such, there are about 8-10 lines of text per page. The vocabulary of the book is quite manageable when it's in English. There are some Syrian/Arabic words though, not all of which are guessable from the context. A glossary would have been helpful.

This book might serve as a good discussion starter. It's described in the blurb as a modern day fable, and it meets this tag to a certain extent. Recommended.

3.75 stars.

Trigger warnings: Pet death, losing home, war.

My thanks to Owlkids and NetGalley for the DRC of “Dounia and the Magic Seeds”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is an incredibly moving, beautiful and touching picture book. When Dounia has to leave Syria for safer ground, she takes four magic seeds gifted to her on her journey. Her family faces plenty of hardships along the way, but the seeds protect Dounia and her family in multiple ways. This book is a tribute to all finding their way within hardship and a testament to childrens' resiliency and strength. I'll be requiring this for my children's literature class this summer.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Tender and timely story about Dounia and her family. Readers see them at home in Aleppo, Syria, before the war. Their lives are the same as families everywhere. Then the war comes and they flee to escape. They embark on a perilous journey to find a new home. The story comes full circle to the coffee grounds prediction when they settle in a blue home in a different country. Intertwined with the dangers is hope and a belief in magic. The special seeds rescue them at several points in the journey. I appreciate her name meaning "the world." She could be fleeing from any war and seeking safety from any conflict. The illustration are powerful and capture the hope and the danger.

Dounia lives with her grandparents in Aleppo, Syria. She buys magical baraka seeds to keep Teta's cheese from spoiling. When war comes to their city, the family is forced to flee. Dounia uses the four seeds she has left to help them as they face the hardships of being refugees.

Zarif's writing and illustrations are magical, transporting the reader into the experience of Syrian refugee children. At a time when many are fleeing their homelands for safety and a better life, this is a timely book. I hope reading it will help childen & adults gain empathy for the plight of refugees whereever they may be.

Lovely illustration and bittersweet story. A great way to introduce the struggles of the world, and Syria, to younger children. When they eventually ask questions about what inspired this book, parents will have this book to start answering in an age appropriate way.

I'm so conflicted about this. On one hand, it sheds light on the Syrian war and refugee crisis in an engaging manner that's appropriate for kids. At the same time, I'm not sure a fantasy element is the best choice because it feels like the book is downplaying very important issues.

Unfortunately, not everyone has magic seeds to whisk them away to safety. There is no mention of how many migrants die in the Mediterranean Sea every year in their bid for freedom or how their troubles do not end upon arriving at shore, with racism and displacement and assimilation continuing to pose a problem.

The illustrations are breathtaking though and I find this to be an important read nevertheless. Despite lacking in exposition for me, I would still recommend it to younger audiences.

Dounia and the Magic Seeds by Marya Zarif is a picture book that tells one of the most beautiful and powerful stories I have read in a long time!

The story begins in Syria where Dounia ("the world" in Arabic) lives until war is at her door. She is then forced to leave her home with very little but always keeps her magic seeds on her long, journey to freedom.

The writing in this book is poetic and can and should be used for children of all ages. I know I will certainly be using this book in the classroom and recommending it to my school ibrary.

"My little moon, we're like the birds now, they carry their home in their hearts and live in the sky,"

Unfortunately, Dounia's journey is one that many children face in our world and while all are not able to have the ending that Dounia has, her journey brings hope to others.

On top of the writing being beautiful the pictures are just as breathtaking. I am so glad I requested this book and cannot stop thinking of Dounia!

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dounia enjoys her life in Syria with her grandparents until one day a large boom interrupts her simple life. Together with her grandparents and magic seeds in tow, Dounia flees the war and her home in Syria in search of a new home and life that is free from bombs and destruction. Along the way, Dounia discovers hate and love and learns how to overcome hardships. The story alone is haunting but beautiful while the illustrations bring the story to life. Readers will learn about the harsh reality that comes with war while learning that it’s not easy to just flee the only home you’ve ever known.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this. book.

This picture book by Zarif is a moving story of Dounia and her grandparents as they flee war torn Syria. The beautiful pictures depict the warmth of her grandparent's love and the love of their home. It is a moving depiction of a young child who experiences loosing a home and country.

This is a heavier topic, but it is definitely an important book to have available for those kids who have also experienced being a refugee, or teaching kids about their world and what other children and families face.

The ending is hopeful, so if you are wary of picking it up for that reason, don't be!

Dounia and the Magic Seeds is a story of a Syrian Refugee escaping war with her grandparents. The Magic Seeds are a reminder of one's homeland and ultimately a great reminder of the greatest weapon in war, hope.

***I received a free copy of this e-book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

This book is the epitome if mirrors and windows in children's literature. Children from Syria who have lived experiences like Dounia's will have the chance to see themselves in the story. Children who live far away from Syria will get to see a different life than the one they know with a character who is easy to relate to. I loved the touch of folklore and magic in the story buoying it with hope as Dounia and her family go through their difficult journey.

I read an advanced copy thanks to Owl Kids books. This is a lovely modern day folk tale about a family's journey out of Syria. I look forward to sharing this title with patrons and my own kiddos. Dounia has her own magic in the seeds of the plant she has chosen to travel with her. I like that her grandparents are the guardians in this adventure as this is a reality for a lot of kiddos. The tone and coloring of the book are soothing and easy to follow.

I’ve just read the English version of this incredibly well written journey of Dounia, who is forced to flee her beloved home in Aleppo and find refuge in Canada, with the help of some magic seeds.

Accessible to a young audience, while engaging for middle graders, I am excited to share this window and sliding glass door picture book with my students.

Powerful writing and captivating illustrations. This is a must have in your classroom libraries.