📚 Palestine Is A Place.

When we hear the word Palestine, we often hear it through the noise of headlines, politics, and pain. But before and beyond all of that, Palestine is a place — a real place — filled with real people, real kids, and real dreams. It’s a land with olive trees older than most countries, laughter echoing in schoolyards, and kitchens filled with the smell of za’atar, fresh bread, and slow-cooked tomatoes.

🌿 The Heart of the Land

Palestine is a land of incredible beauty. From the rolling hills of Ramallah to the stone alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City, it holds thousands of years of history and a beating, modern-day heart. It’s a place where olive groves once stretched across sunlit terraces, and rooftops bloomed with gardens, laundry lines, and pigeons.

Palestinians are known for their hospitality, a visitor will almost never leave without being offered tea, coffee, or something sweet. Much like my own Jamaican ancestry, homes are multigenerational, bustling with aunties, cousins, and grandparents. Food is shared, stories are passed down, and neighbors look after each other.

🧒🏽 A Day in the Life of a Palestinian Child

Children in Palestine are like kids everywhere — curious, playful, clever, and full of questions.

Games like "Ghummayeh" (hide and seek) and "Sah el nom" (a traditional sleep-acting game) fill courtyards and classrooms. In rural areas, you might find kids playing soccer in open lots or flying homemade kites. Urban kids often learn to navigate busy streets with independence and grit, stopping at bakeries on the way home from school for fresh ka’ak (sesame bread rings).

School is a big part of life — public and private schools operate throughout the West Bank and Gaza, often taught in Arabic, with English as a second language. Education is deeply valued. Despite the challenges they face, many Palestinian children are trilingual and resourceful. Teachers are often pillars in the community, and libraries are sacred spaces where books are treasured.

While I’ve read some contemporary books on Palestinian life recently (I’ll do a post about them soon). Much of what I’ve learned about the land and its people comes from some fabulous cookbooks from the region. Two of my favorite so far are linked here:

The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis and

Zaitoun: Recipes and Stories from the Palestinian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan

📚 8 Picture Books That Bring Palestine to Life

Stories are how we connect — and these books give children a way to understand not just the idea of Palestine, but the people of Palestine.

📖 "A Map For Falasteen"
by Maysa Odeh

A poetic love letter to the land, this book helps kids understand the deep cultural and personal meaning of place and belonging.

📖 "A Kids Book About Israel And Palestine”
by Reza Aslan

A gentle, accessible starting point for difficult but important conversations.

📖 “These Olive Trees”
by Aya Ghanameh

Told through the voice of a child, this book is a reminder of how land and family are deeply intertwined.

📖 "A Child’s Garden"
by Michael Foreman

A subtle and touching story of persistence and green hope, told through the eyes of a child who plants a garden in a war-torn place.

📖 "We Are Palestinian"
by Reem Kassis

A vibrant celebration of Palestinian identity — from food to fashion, poetry to protest written for children and families.

📖 "Young Palestinians Speak"
by Anthony Robinson & Ann Marie Young

Real stories from real kids filled with resilience, imagination, and hope.

📖 "Sitti’s Key"
by Sahar Khader Ali

A moving picture book that tells the story of a young girl learning about her grandmother’s past and the home she was forced to leave behind. Through a family visit and heartfelt conversations, the story explores Palestinian identity, the right of return, and the enduring power of memory.

📖 "A Little Piece of Ground"
by Elizabeth Laird

Geared towards an older reader (9-120 A Little Piece of Ground is a moving and realistic novel about a Palestinian boy growing up in Ramallah, navigating checkpoints, friendship, and freedom. A powerful coming-of-age story.

Why This Matters

At the heart of this post is a simple truth: kids everywhere deserve to be seen, heard, and loved. Palestine is not just a news story, it’s home to families, artists, teachers, and dreamers. It’s a place where children play hopscotch and memorize poetry, where grandparents pass down recipes, and where hope takes root even in the hardest places.

Helping children understand Palestine not just as a conflict but as a place with people just like them is one way to raise compassionate global citizens. When kids learn about each other, they learn about themselves. They begin to see that their choices, voices, and hearts have the power to change the world.

The world is small. Our impact is big. Let’s raise readers who understand both.