Book Review By Elena Kingsbury, FSWC Senior Educator

Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam

Adapted by Fawzia Gilani-Williams, illustrated by Chiara Fedele

In this timeless adaptation of an ancient folk story, Fawzia Gilani-Williams weaves a warm tale of empathy and friendship across cultures. Beautiful in its simplicity, the story follows two women, Fatima and Yaffa - one Muslim, the other Jewish - who live side-by-side in “The Land of Milk and Honey.” Though separated by customs and religion, they find friendship through their shared experiences and by thinking of one another when times get tough on their respective date farms.

Appropriate for all ages, this book is a useful introduction to the concept of religious diversity. It introduces facts about both Islam and Judaism focusing on their similarities through a story of neighbours. Gilani-Williams highlights important universal themes that transcend religion, including compassion, inclusion and the importance of community and allyship when facing hard times. The illustrator’s choice to use a limited colour palette of teal, burgundy and brown against a backdrop of elegant black linework is striking and enhances the universality of the story’s message.  

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