Arabic Folktales for Children: Timeless Stories to Share in English and Arabic (Free Online Audio Recordings and Bilingual Text)

Timeless stories to share in English and Arabic, engagingly retold for young readers.

This exciting collection of eight folktales presented in parallel English and Arabic text brings together favorites from a storytelling tradition rich in humor, warmth, and gentle life lessons. Drawing on oral and written sources from across the Arabic-speaking world, award-winning author Hadil Ghoneim has crafted a fun and unique anthology for heritage language learners as well as anyone seeking to introduce young readers to diverse cultures. With free online audio you can read-aloud and listen along to each story in both languages!

The stories include:

• Goha and His Son: The beloved folk character Goha teaches his son that it's impossible to please everyone
• A Tale About Friendship, Part One and Two: A turtle, a crow, and their animal friends show that when we help each other out, we can overcome any challenge
• The Woodcutter and the Lion: A woodcutter uses his quick wit to outsmart a lion
• And four more great stories!

Illustrator Ayah Khamis brings the tales to life with expressive characters, glowing color combinations, and detailed depictions of buildings and other local details. The book is a valuable addition to the library of any family or teacher who wants to build cultural connections through the magic of stories.

Author: Hadil Ghoneim
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Published: 10/21/2025
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 11.18h x 8.50w x 0.63d
ISBN: 9780804858076
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 10/01/2025 pg. 35

About the Author
Hadil Ghoneim is a writer of fiction and nonfiction in both Arabic and English. Her books for children and young adults have won and been shortlisted for the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature, featured in the UN SDG Book Club, and selected among the 100 Best Arabic Books for Young People (2018-2024). She has also written biographies of Naguib Mahfouz and Ahmed Zewail for young readers and contributed lyrics to the children's music album Afratta. Her nonfiction essays for adult readers have appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Arab Lit Quarterly and other publications, featured in Beyond Memory: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Creative Nonfiction (2020), and cited in Best American Essays 2021. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with her family, and is currently at work on her debut novel for adults.

Ayah Khamis has illustrated many children's and young adult books. A graduate of Helwan University's Faculty of Fine Arts, she published her first book, I love Because I Am a Human Being, at age 21 in Arabic, English and French. Her work has been recognized by the Etisalat Award for Children's Literature, the Children's Book Publishers Forum, and the Arab Institute in Paris. She collaborated previously with Hadil Ghoneim on the book Those Are Your Lenses, Alba!

Marcia Lynx Qualey is a writer, editor, translator, and founding editor of ArabLit and ArabLit Quarterly. Her work to promote Arabic literature in translation, including books for children and young adults, has been recognized by a Literary Translation Initiative Award from the London Book Fair and the Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature from Words Without Borders. She is a co-founder of the WorldKidLit initiative, which works to raise the profile of global literature for young people.