Children's book illustrator, immigrant grateful Bathurst library welcomed his family
Artist Hatem Aly moved from the Middle East to northern New Brunswick and says the local library has been a huge support in his new home.
Aly illustrated the children's book The Proudest Blue, which was read by a book club at the Grand Manan Public Library. as part of CBC New Brunswick's Books and Backroads partnership with public libraries.
Readers in six small communities in rural areas of the province took part in book clubs, discovering books from an array of genres, all with a connection to New Brunswick.
Young readers and their parents read the story about two sisters, Asiyah and Faizah. The story is told through the eyes of Faizah, who is proud of her older sister when she wears her hijab for the first time at school.
Aly is a New York Times bestselling illustrator of more than 60 books, including a series that includes The Proudest Blue, The Kindest Red and The Boldest White, all written by Ibtihaj Muhammad & S.K. Ali.
He moved from Egypt to New Brunswick in 2007 and now lives in Bathurst with his wife and son.
He credits the Bathurst Public Library and especially librarian Diane Gauthier as providing the biggest support for him and his famiy in their new home.
"Diane has been with us since my son was a baby," he said. "We used to go to storytime and once in a while she had to read one of the books that I illustrated to other kids."
The library is also the best place "to see the kids' reactions firsthand," he said.
In The Proudest Blue, Asiyah's hijab is blue, and her sister Faizah sees it as beautiful and powerful, like ocean waves, Aly said.
Her enthusiasm, however, isn't shared by other students in the story, who make hurtful comments and bully Asiyah for being different.
For Aly, the book is about resilience and family and "finding a ground to stand on and being together as a family."
Grand Manan book club member Rory Kinghorne said he loved the story.
"If you're dealing with a bully, I think it's not a reflection of you, it's a reflection of them."
Conversation flowed over every aspect of the book, including the strength of the main characters, and there was a general consensus that people don't need to change to fit in with norms.
"It's not right to bully someone for being themself," Sadie Kinghorne said.
Aly said Books and Backroads is a great way to "spotlight the places that have small populations," and he was "really excited about" The Proudest Blue being selected this year.
"It was like a little gift, a nice little gift to find some interest," he said.
He aso apprecitaed the validation that his work "reached other people."
Often, he said, "you feel in isolation" because after a work is published, there usually isn't direct interaction with readers or libraries or other places the book is having an impact.
Rachel Woodworth, the Grand Manan library manager, said the first word that came to mind when she found out the library was included in this year's Books and Backroads was "thrilled."
She said the program means a lot to her because even before working at the library, she was a fan of the series and saw "the partnership between CBC and New Brunswick public libraries is special."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Prince Harry, Meghan and Netflix extend partnership for streaming programs
In this Jan. 7, 2020, file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave Canada House in London. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) LOS ANGELES — Prince Harry and Meghan have extended their partnership with Netflix and their media company, Archewell Productions, with a multiyear, first-look deal, the couple announced Monday. Archewell began collaborating with the streaming giant in 2020 and have produced a handful of documentary content, including the popular 'Harry & Meghan.' The Duchess of Sussex also developed a lifestyle brand, As Ever, in partnership with Netflix. The collaboration has also produced the documentary series' 'Polo,' 'Heart of Invictus' and 'Live to Lead.' 'My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision,' Meghan said in a statement. The couple and Netflix also announced upcoming collaborations, including a second season of, 'With Love, Meghan,' a lifestyle and cooking show starring the duchess. The show will also receive a special holiday episode in December. The show is Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its March release, according to the company. It ranked low compared to other releases in the first half of this year, with 5.3 million views, according to Netflix's semiannual report. 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,' a documentary short film that centres on a small orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, is also set to release this year. Archewell is also in production with Netflix on a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel 'Meet Me at the Lake.' The drama 'follows a decade-spanning love story that begins with a chance encounter and a broken promise,' the statement read. 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself,' Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. Their extended deal with Netflix is the latest in the couple's yearslong effort to develop business ventures in the United States. They had also penned a multiyear deal with Spotify in 2020 and produced a podcast, ' Archetypes, ' but cut ties with the company in 2023. The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and are living in California with their two young children. Itzel Luna, The Associated Press
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Toronto hosts first North American Korean culture expo
K-EXPO Canada took over downtown Toronto this weekend. The event featured over 60 companies and agencies, showcasing the latest in Korean culture. Some of the biggest names in K-pop were also there. CBC's Naama Weingarten has the story. Thousands of people attended a Korean culture, businesses and products event in Toronto this weekend. The exhibition at Meridian Hall marks the first time K-EXPO has been held in North America. In previous years, it was held in France, Indonesia and Vietnam. "Korean culture is very good at making things look futuristic and glamorous, so it's attractive in that way," said Alvin Montano, who attended the expo. "It looks so otherworldly," he said. "That translates to their culture, food and media as well." This year's event was free to enter and included booths for Korean beauty, known as K-beauty, K-pop, gaming and animation. There were also Korean food tastings. Concert sells out on Ticktmaster The expo hosted a K-pop concert Sunday evening — which sold out on Ticketmaster — featuring performances by bands Cravity and Fifty Fifty. K-pop has something for everyone, says Pat Nuevaorlando, who attended the concert on Sunday. She says the music genre encompasses hip-hop and mellow tunes. It's also an "easy icebreaker" to make friends, Nuevaorlando said. "It's very inviting and fun, that's what makes K-pop so popular, especially in a city like Toronto," she added. The Sunday concert hosted 3,000 people and was sold out in just two minutes, organizers told CBC Toronto. The expo hosted a K-pop concert Sunday evening — which sold out on Ticketmaster — featuring performances by bands Cravity and Fifty Fifty. The Sunday concert hosted 3,000 people and was sold out in just two minutes, organizers told CBC Toronto. (Prasanjeet Choudhury/CBC ) Jamie Deleon, who attended the expo, said she grew up with K-pop after being introduced to the groups Twice and Blackpink. "You don't have to understand the language for music to speak to you and I feel like for me, K-pop does that really well," she said. Deleon said the songs are often written in ways that are particularly poetic, compared to Western pop music. For attendee Zachary Comeau, his interest in Korean TV shows drew him to the expo. He said the shows have much better writing and unique concepts compared to North American programs. "Nothing really advances in North America, to be honest," he said. "Korea's got it figured out." K-EXPO is jointly organized by various Korean government agencies, according to its website. These government agencies have successfully promoted Korean media and popular culture through events like K-EXPO, said Michelle Cho, assistant professor of East Asian popular culture at the University of Toronto. "They understand that events like this that are in-person [and] involve an experiential element can be really important … and trigger an interest in Korean culture and society," she said. Sparking an interest in one area, such as K-beauty, could result in a chain reaction where a fan then becomes interested in K-dramas or indulging in Korean food, she said. Ultimately, Cho said a fan's interest could lead them to visit Seoul on their next vacation. "This is all interconnected in a way," she said. Stacey Harris, who visited the expo and attended Sunday's concert, said she has visited Korea three times since she became interested in BTS, a massively popular K-pop group. She said she learned a lot at the expo, such as the symbolism and meaning behind South Korea's flag. Korean culture is "something new [and] exciting, but there's also some universality to it," Harris said. Toronto integrates Asian culture in daily life: professor Korean cultural industries have also successfully maintained a certain type of "national brand," Cho said. For example, while she said Korean beauty products are not exclusively from Korea, consumers still associate them with Korean culture "as a very contemporary, future oriented and technologically advanced culture and society." The expo had Korean food tastings for attendees. This might spark interest in learning more about Korean culture, said Michelle Cho, an assistant professor of East Asian popular culture at the University of Toronto. (CBC) Cho compared the global spread of Korean culture to how Hollywood exported culture across the world. "I think South Korea is really learning from that and trying to pursue a similar strategy," she said. Cho said she expected a particularly high turnout at this year's expo in the wake of the smash Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters — written and co-directed by Toronto's Maggie Kang — which she said reflected the crossover appeal of Korean culture. While she said the expo could have been hosted in a variety of cities in North America, Toronto stands out because of how Asian culture and food is a part of daily life. Cho, who is Korean American, moved to Canada 10 years ago. When she mentioned her heritage to people at the time, she said most questions she was asked were about North Korea and geopolitics in the region. But now, the main association she says she sees is related to popular culture. "That change is tremendous," she said. "You can imagine what things might be like there … and the culture is not totally foreign." K-EXPO Canada will go on until Tuesday.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Oktoberfest eyes Cambridge, townships for expansion
Oktoberfest eyes Cambridge, townships for expansion News Duration 1:28 It's known as Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, but the massive annual Bavarian festival is hoping to expand into Cambridge and surrounding townships in 2026. Darryl Fletcher, also known as Chef D, is the board president of the festival. This year, the festival will start on Sept. 26 and end on Oct. 18. Fletcher spoke to CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty about plans for this year and the next.
