Dounia and the Magic Seeds - Marya Zarif - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Marya Zarif

ILLUSTRATOR: Marya Zarif

TRANSLATOR: Yvette Ghione

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

RATING: 3.75 Stars.

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. (She's also the creator of the animated series "Dounia." You can read up more and the series and the author HERE.)

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.

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.

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I want to make a special mention of something beyond the book's story. In the initial information, this line by the publishers touched me deeply:

“Owlkids gratefully acknowledges that our office in Toronto is located on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Chippewa, the Wendat, the Anishinaabeg, and the Haudenosaunee peoples.”

Thank you, Owlkids! Tiny gestures such as these also go a long way.