Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A Palestinian child learns why olive trees are so special. Salam’s Sido (Arabic forGrandfather) explains that olive trees are “strong and resilient, and their roots run deep in this land.” The trees connect the entire community, from Samir, the farmer who picks the olives, to Teta Dalal, who serves them to her visitors each afternoon. Salam plants an olive tree, too, and waits weeks for it to grow. Salam and Sido are thrilled to see a small sprout emerging. But one day soldiers arrive, destroying everything—including the tiny olive tree. Sido comforts Salam, and at his urging, their friends and neighbors plant more trees: “Just like the olive trees, we are part of this land,” he says. “And just like the olive trees, when they try to break us, we grow back stronger.” Elbayya’s simple, direct language pairs well with her sepia-toned, loose-lined cartoons, capturing Salam’s childish exuberance, the relationship between grandfather and grandchild, and the resilience of the community. Though tinged with a whimsical flair—the sun smiles as Salam plants the tree, a helpful little bird appears throughout—the scenes turn grim as the soldiers arrive. While the author’s note expands on the significance of olive trees to the Palestinian people, neither the backmatter nor the story itself explains who the soldiers are or why they’ve come; with historical context from educators or caregivers, however, this tale could be a starting point for further discussion. A moving tale about the power of community and love.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sido (grandfather) tells Salam, a young Palestinian girl, that olive trees are strong and resilient with "roots that run deep in this land." He explains that olive trees connect everyone, from the farmer who presses the oil, to the bakery where the oil fires up the ovens, to olive sellers, to those who feast on them. An excited Salam plants an olive seed with dreams of strengthening these connections. She tends to her seed every day until it sprouts and grows into a young tree. Her happiness is cut short, however, when "soldiers forcefully march into our land," crushing her tree and destroying everything in their path. Sido comforts Salam by saying she will grow more trees in time. Overnight, Sido mobilizes the community so that when Salam awakes, she finds her friends and family gathered amid a newly planted olive grove. Elbayya's spare text and simple line drawings in a muted palette of greens and browns are powerful and effective. Salam (which means peace) serves as a stand-in for the resilience and unbroken spirit of the Palestinian people. The hopeful story underlines lessons of resistance and the coming together of community in the face of destruction. (c) Copyright 2024. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.