A Good Morning for Giddo

Name: A Good Morning for Giddo
Price: 45 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780593463215

Dahlia Hamza Constantine, Irene Latham, Basma Hosam

$45

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Nancy Paulsen Books
06 May 2026

General fiction (Children's&YA); Family & home stories (Children's&YA); People & places (Children's&YA); Personal & social issues: family issues (Children's&YA)

A granddaughter makes her Giddo's birthday extra special with a surprise gift in this delightful picture book that celebrates Egyptian art and family.

A granddaughter makes her Giddo's birthday extra special with a surprise gift in this delightful picture book that celebrates Egyptian art and family.

When Somaya and her beloved Giddo (Arabic word for grandfather) make their weekly trip to the market, Somaya is impatient to get to the tentmaker's stall; she needs help to complete a birthday surprise for Giddo, but Giddo prefers to take his time to visit his many friends. At first Somaya is frustrated by the delay, but soon she sees the importance of checking in on friends. Like Hajj Mohammed who sells shimmery pots of ink and is sad since his son moved to a faraway land.

""Good Morning with roses and jasmine,"" Hajj Mohammed greets them before inviting Somaya to choose a pen; Somaya bleeds a special birthday message onto paper for Giddo while he and Hajj Mohammed answer the call to prayer.

Next, they visit the jeweler. All around sparkling abalone fill baskets like treasure boxes. ""Good morning of sweet cream, dearest Somaya,"" Mariam says as she strings together a beautiful necklace. Giddo decides to stay for tea with Mariam's father. Somaya loves listening to their chatter as the minty tea dazzles her tongue.

At last, they reach the tentmakers's stall. Sunlight splashes through the covered roof onto the rainbow of fabrics lining both sides of the narrow alleyway. As Giddo oohs and ahhs over Ammu Safwat's new designs, Somaya heads straight for his apprentice to get help with the final flourish of her gift to Giddo.

Finally, they are on their way home where Somaya and her parents surprise Giddo with a cake and Somaya's special gift showing Giddo, the best tentmaker of them all, that she's now a tentmaker too!

Illustrator Basma Hosam entices the reader with a rich, tapestry of colors that honors the brilliance of artisans who keep the ancient arts of calligraphy, abalone inlay and textile alive.

A Good Morning for Giddo is a wonderful celebration of community, art and culture and the bond between generations.

By: Dahlia Hamza Constantine, Irene Latham
Illustrated by: Basma Hosam
Imprint: Nancy Paulsen Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 222mm, Width: 262mm, Spine: 8mm
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9780593463215
ISBN 10: 0593463218
Pages: 32
Publication Date: 06 May 2026
Recommended Age: From 5 to 8 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

From the bustling streets of Cairo to vibrant American neighborhoods, Dahlia Hamza Constantine weaves her Egyptian heritage into stories that bridge worlds. A former elementary school teacher turned author, she creates books that help young readers discover the magic hidden in their own communities. Irene Latham is an Alabama poet and author of more than twenty books for kids, including the co-authored African Town and The Cat Man of Aleppo. A childhood visit to Egypt launched a lifelong passion for Egyptian arts and artists, especially the Tentmakers of Cairo. Basma Hosam graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. She has illustrated over 30 books in the Middle East and internationally, and she is the author-illustrator of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature winning book Something Looking for Itself / _x0634__x0626_ _x064A__x0628__x062D__x062B_ _x0639__x0646_ _x0646__x0641__x0633__x0647_ . Basma lives in Cairo, Egypt.