A Story About Overcoming Fear
Alaa is a young boy who lives in a small, peaceful village.
One day, a mysterious mythical creature suddenly appears on the horizon: a wolf with wings.
The wolf kidnaps Alaa's father and several other villagers.
Alaa finds himself forced to embark on a great adventure, which takes him into a mysterious and unfamiliar magical world.
Eventually, Alaa manages to overcome his fear and defeat the flying wolf, with a great deal of help from the children of his village.
The story is intended for children aged seven to twelve.
Author: Haneen Shweikh
Illustrations: Ali al-Zaini
German translation: Zuhair Sokah
The story was originally written in Arabic and later translated into German. The aim was both to support the integration of refugees into their host society and to promote Arabic-language literature in Germany.
Haneen, the author of the book, has been living in Hanover for almost four years.
She speaks fluent German but writes her stories in Arabic.
Speaking about her love for her mother tongue, she says:
"I never had any difficulty learning Arabic or writing in it because the language has always been a strong part of our lives.
I learned to read when I was three years old through picture stories and puzzles.
When I came to Germany, I kept up my Arabic through lessons at home and by continuing to read Arabic books."
Describing how she first began writing, she says:
"I started writing poetry when I was five years old.
I had imaginary friends, and I used to tell my mother about them.
Every day, she would ask me about them and what had happened to them.
Little by little, I began writing stories."
The book was published by Khotoat, with joint funding from Miso and the author's family.
It was distributed in Germany to children of different nationalities.
