Based on this reason, the creative awards in the reality of ArabIt is an interesting thing to be invited to have an entertaining and exciting reading of books that overflow with pleasure and suspense; on one hand, and with a lot of novelty and innovation, on the other hand. This is what happened actually. I had the honor to receive a kind invitation from the management of Arab Children's Book Publishers Forum, for which I wish all the best, as I was instructed to have a critical reading for the winning works of the Forum’s Award in its eighth session of 2021. I was fully aware of the value of this Award and its moral importance before its physical significance, as it serves children’s literature and writing as per multiple aspects, which are the important and basic technical, objective and creative aspects and all of which are concerned with writing, illustration, designing and industry of the book in our Arab world, which really complains about the lack of encouragement and support required for the child’s book, in terms of writing, industry and presence. Hence, this would lead to irregular and weak steps of this book on the right path and regarding its desired goals, the necessary fulfillment of the appropriate level and the achievement of the proper and effective reception for the Arab child, who forms the basis of our rules and the starting point for all of us to develop the child’s abilities and skills and enhance his personality and position in our Arab reality.
Therefore, the Award, regardless of the type of award, in its form, objective, moral and physical existence, would be presented as it is planned, desired, seen and hoped in all cases, in order to support and enhance this aspect, from two consistent directions together in the correct vision manifested in evaluating creativity and its distinction. It is presented in the first direction in order to overcome a set of difficulties, obstacles and challenges that stand in the way of the writer and book and their effectiveness, on one hand, and in the way of the publisher and his effectiveness, on the other hand, so as to achieve, as a result, the reinforcement of the required support and the necessary encouragement for the makers of the new and renewed child's book, including writers, illustrators, designers, publishers and distributors.
In addition, the other direction, including the establishment and existence of this Award, represents a basic, substantial, important and extremely significant trend, as it should mainly stimulate creation, innovation and excellence in the spirit of creativity and its meaning and significance by calling for a creative competition in the relevant arena, and encouraging legitimate competition among creators with all their names and tendencies, in order to create and find the superior, innovative, amazing and brilliant outputs in form and content of new creativity in children’s literature and writing. In turn, this alone constitutes a distinct and important sign of the Award and its impact on the essence of creativity and creator.
children’s literature have now a special and important consideration, as they, in the first place, are presented to stimulate the determination, energies and imaginations of the creators who are deeply involved in this literature, as well as promote and elevate their reality and the status of what they create and produce, including their ideas, methods, imaginations and forms, in which the new spirit of meanings of surprise, excitement and attraction for the receiving child is embodied. Thus, this is what makes the child’s book and its maker always alive and vibrant, and in a constant race for innovation, proficiency and quality improvement at the verge of creativity and its output. This also prompts us to constantly request the authorities concerned with culture, literature, creativity, book industry and digital content and invite them to open broad horizons for the creative race and serious competition by finding and reviving more creative awards, provided that these awards go beyond the narrow frameworks and the restricted limits of competition, as we find in some local competitions and awards, which are marked with the names of children’s literature, especially those that have no effect on the general reality of Arab children's literature, as we have seen and deduced from their results.
The fact that the revival and vitality of the reality of Arab children’s literature remains dependent on the extent of the revival and vitality of the major and important Arab awards, whose existence comes in harmony with the existence of the new achievement of children’s literature, so as to revive creative, impressive and innovative aspects of children’s literature and books, along with always providing them with vitality and distinction.
There is no doubt that the major Arab awards in children’s literature and book, which represents another fact that must be mentioned and declared herein, have a great role in the existence of a creative and distinguished output of what is written and published within this literature, since such awards stimulate the energies of the writer, the illustrator, designer and publisher and push them to have accuracy and adhere to standards of quality, renewal and keenness on inventing what is not previously presented in his new product. If we examine the thinking way of any of these persons and ask them, we will find that one of their ideas and wishes would include the moment they begin their creativity, formulation of their product, as well as their plans and keenness on quality, distinction and excitement, in order to allow this produced creativity to reach an advanced degree of prestige by winning one of those awards, which accompany the status of Arab children's literature and enhance its reality.
In this case and reality, we never exaggerate if we consider the “Arab Children’s Book Publishers Forum’s Award” as one of the most prominent Arab awards associated with children’s books in our Arab world, if not at the forefront of these awards, since it is one of the most important, serious, sober and professional awards, after “Etisalat Award for Children’s Book” and “Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Children's Literature”, especially that the Forum’s Award is presented and granted by an Arab, professional, competent, sober and specialized entity, which is always keen to promote the Arab children's book and its publishing, and allow it to reach high quality level of creativity and excellence in its formulation and industry, namely "Arab Children’s Book Publishers Forum". This Forum has lavish professionalism, inputs and activity and this has a great merit and a clear impact on the growing institutional, societal and cultural interest in children's book, just as it has this impact and more on the development of the children’s book, the expansion of its understanding, appreciation, publishing and reception in our Arab world. The Forum always seeks to develop effective, efficient and renewable plans and programs for the affirmed advancement of the Arab children’s book, in form and content, as we have seen in most of publishers who fall under the banner and umbrella of a comprehensive and professional forum, as this Forum is the important and major gathering place for all main publishers of children’s books in our Arab world, since it always seeks and tries to improve quality standards in children’s books through its continuous and renewed plans, programs and activities in this direction. Moreover, its creative award, which is provided yearly till its eighth year, is nothing but a sincere and serious scientific and practical step in this direction and it represents an effective input in the ripe fruits planned and provided by the Forum.
Based on this fact, I have now four important works that represent the winning products of the Forum’s Award for Best Children’s Book for the eighth session of 2021, and all of which constitute an important and distinct value to the book and literature of the Arab child. I wish I could delve deeply and spend more time in my critical reading of these important works, but the available space provided for me would force me to shorten the reading time to a specific limit, so that I do not prolong it, and the important thing is that I will try here to have a brief reading to present a deserved objective and artistic critical reading for each of these books. (Amal) “Hope” book, which is written by Amal Nasser and illustrations are done by Hia Halawa, while it is published in its first edition of 2020 in a joint publication between Hekaya Qamar and Dar Roumaneh Publishing Houses in Beirut, which is the winner of the best illustration, amazed us with its charming illustrations and fascinating elegance in its design and printing, as well as its size and selection of appropriate and good quality of paper, which would stimulate and motivate the appetite for reading and tempt the child to touch, embrace and read it with a certain desire, passion and enjoyment, although this book was not directed to the child only, as the targeted group of this book, as indicated on the front of its first page (from the age of zero till 100 years old), which is a really funny and correct targeting, as I found it, since it represents the hope which revolves within the orbit of man and in the folds of all his days. Hence, the hope, either a reality or imagination, is brilliance and vitality of life in the human spirit and it is the first and main feeding factor of the positive energy for each of us. None of us, at any age, either old or young, can ignore hope or avoid it, as it is the driving element for us and all our energies, by which we cling to life and live it. This is what is embodied in the text of the book. Amal “Hope” (idea and text) stimulated the illustrator, designer and publisher to go ahead on the road to excellence and allow this book to win the award.
The story (I am almost suffocating), which is written by its author, Sahar Shehade, illustrated by Atifah Abdullah and published by Al-Buraq House for Children’s Culture in Iraq, in its first edition of 2020, which is the winner of the (Best Text) Award, as I found it, really deserves this award, due to the text formulated by its writer, which is based on an appropriate and enjoyable storyline event. It was shaped for us and embodied in a lively form, while it is not deviating or exaggerating in its textual structure as compared to the linguistic, expressive and psychological structure we want, in order to address children and lure them into what we write for them and what we create within our writing, including the worlds that do not go, in their ideas, nature, discourse, language and systems, beyond the vast boundaries of the worlds of children, the extents of which are sometimes difficult to be predicted, because of the enchanting fantasies that permeate them and are mixed with them and this aspect requires they are harmonized with childhood magic and its constantly changing psychological and emotional formation. Hence, this transformation makes writing like magic, whose real effectiveness can only be achieved by its harmony and cohesion with the magic and exoticism of childhood, which enthralls us, arouses our attention and attracts our interest and interaction with it to the extent of surprise and contemplation.
This is what the writer, Sahar, handled in her story, when she got involved in one of the (familiar and unfamiliar) events in the worlds of the child, in his movements and stillness, when she took us to a side of these worlds with their realistic and imaginary dimensions, in a simple language and interesting narration, which would feed reality with imaginary touches that do not stray too far from this reality and its descriptions, so it would coincide with it and depicts it with all aspects of its beauty and enjoyment. Thus, it allowed us to fly with its language to the story of "Waseem", that naughty boy with his movements, attitudes, funny and sometimes frightening actions, while he is playing with the house stuff with his dominance and emotions, in order to make them under his control according to what he wants in an action closer to emotional humanism for him whereas such stuff respond to his emotions with complete freedom of movement and action, which does not make him suffocate, but he feels suffocated again if he is restricted by a limited level of freedom, movement and action. Accordingly, the writer sought and struggled, until she succeeded in leading us and luring the children with us, to stories and events that are not far from children’s general feelings and behaviors, which are well-known at home, especially among children with hyperactivity in their movement, thinking and playing, which we often consider as (troublemaking), since it is deemed in our discretion a positive troublemaking, in spite of the negative effects it provokes and produces on some people inside the house. However, as per the other perspective of psychological and mental emotion, and even from the mental and behavioral perspective, it is considered as an innovative and exploratory troublemaking, which increases the child’s intellectual and imaginative energies, as well as his mental and creative outcomes. Hence, this was the end of the troublemaking of the hero of the story (Waseem) when he was tamed by (Science Encyclopedia) and he began identifying the situations, images and heroes contained in such book, till he became a creative reader and he learnt how to tame his troubles and control his movement in the correct and creative direction based on reading and according to this book. This was the idea concluded by the text and its wonderful aesthetics, for which we commend the writer and praise her imagination for producing this text, just as we appreciate the publisher's keenness and his creative and distinguished energy in the illustration and design of the book and how it is directed in such beautiful form.
As for the story (Where the Words Flew), which is written by its author, Muhannad Al-Aqos, and the illustrations are made by Dr. Amira Al-Tabeai, while it is published by Noor Al-Maaref Publishing and Distribution House in Cairo, in its first edition of 2020, which is the winner of childhood books for the age group (before 12 years), it is a story written in its aesthetic, objective and artistic form, since it is formulated in its charming shape as a book that fulfills the elements of quality with all technical standards in printing, directing, illustration, design and choice of paper in its quality and suitability for this category, which we found competing with the best international versions of children’s books. Therefore, it is, in such form, no less wonderful, beautiful and charming than its predecessors that are the winning stories. Regarding the text, it is an impressive text. After we were fascinated by his work and industry as a dazzling children's book, the writer here fascinates us with his deep, simple and charming text, which approaches the important therapeutic texts in children's literature. Then, he takes us to the story of that child afflicted by his deep silence against his brothers' talkativeness and their long, continuous and rumbling talks all the time. Such child was unable to release the words inside him that are deposited deeply inside him and piled up before his silence, which prevented him from talking and expression. However, he was not silent internally, he rather used to utter and say words whenever he passes through the necessary cases and situations. Then, the writer takes us in a tour inside such child (the hero of the story), in his inner speech with its depth, his external silence with the perspective of things and their personal and general interactions inside him. This led to his victory over his inner silence and his celebration with his brothers by saying his words and their utterance with their natural resonance in the sound space. The writer depicted and portrayed all of these aspects in a vivid, realistic and imaginary way, as well as in a poetic and interesting language that added to his text a lot of excitement that attracts the recipient and tempts him to proceed with reading and enjoy the beauty of this text and its quality.
The fourth and final work is the story (Queen Suhaila), which is targeted at the category of young people, as defined by the book’s winning of the award in this category (12-16 years), or as stated on its cover (a novel for young people), which is written by Rania Hussein Amin, who is the illustrator of its drawings and cover as well. This novel is published jointly between Nahdet Misr Publishing, Distribution and Printing House in Cairo and Arab Women Organization. It is well-known that Nahdet Misr is one of the oldest and most important publishing houses specialized in children's books and it is always keen to produce distinguished children's books, in terms of their quality, including, most probably, this novel, which talks about, with its idea and events, the general mass of girls, as we find today that every girl thinks about and looks for beauty in all its forms and meanings, especially the beauty of appearance, as sought by doing actions, showing attitudes and through the events of this endeavor, by the heroine of the novel "Miranda", who was motivated by her desire and without it, and based on the encouragement of her mother, to reach the level of beauty she wants after admiring herself, since the writer embodied the same and even intentionally by choosing the name of the heroine, “Miranda”, which is a Latin name meaning the girl who is worthy of admiration. However, at the end of the story, the heroine fully realized that true beauty is that beauty that lies within the girl, and for this reason, the writer sent to the reader, both girls and boys, more than a message in this regard and portrayed the reality of beauty and its real and natural meaning, in different images, many of which were not stereotypical. Then, the writer wanted to alert the young men and women and their families to the real beauty that must be considered and seen in the internal human formation of the energies and skills of girls and boys. This is something good embodied in the pages of the novel, but on the other hand, we have seen several narrative phrases that cannot be accepted or passed by unnoticed, such as: (Consider them like an insect… You step on them with your shoes - p. 16), (I looked in front of me to see Suhaila and her mother walking towards us and Suhaila is enrolled with me in the classroom and she is the most ugly and least popular girl and this applies to Suhaila and her four friends who are unsuccessful like her. Usually, I don't talk to her at all, as I never bring myself down to such a low level and, of course, I put myself in a position higher than her. Also, my mother does not befriend her mother for the same reason - p. 24), and (I am always amazed to see Suhaila and her mother together in this loving and pathetic state. I do not understand how can this girl stand herself and how can she stand her life, while she was born with this unfortunate face? If I looked like her, I would have buried myself under the dirt before anyone can see me - p. 26). Such expressions cannot be said or accepted in writing for children and young people. Hence, what is the significance the writer intended from them? Likewise, it is not possible in writing for children to consider the loss of an arm or a foot as a source of weakness, as it was mentioned in the novel: (...We will talk and smile like normal people… Do you lack an arm or a foot? Why did you show this weakness? p. 22). In addition, there are other phrases not supposed to be mentioned in the language used for children and young people and they cannot be addressed through the literature targeted for them. Here, there is no purpose for a deeper reading of these phrases and others and I am surprised how the expert in the novel missed this point before publishing it. As a result, I will devote my efforts at a time, and in another place for this novel to present a broader and deeper critical reading, Allah willing.
