Now for the second year, the Madison Public Library has partnered with IRIS Global Connect and the Wisconsin International Resource Consortium to bring the world to YOU through the Children’s International Story Hour!

CISH will be in Pinney Library 4-5pm on the fourth Monday of every month, September-May (except December).

This will be a time of sharing award-winning children’s literature that celebrates the diversity of arts, culture, and language across the globe. Participants will learn about global music and engage in hands-on crafts that stimulate their curiosity. Each month promises to be fun and enriching!

This event is free and designed for children ages 5-10 and their caregivers. All are welcome.

Featured Title: Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine

by Hannah Moushabeck (Author), Reem Madooh (Illustrator)

Country: Palestine

As bedtime approaches, three young girls eagerly await the return of their father who tells them stories of a faraway homeland—Palestine. Through their father’s memories, the Old City of Jerusalem comes to life: the sounds of juice vendors beating rhythms with brass cups, the smell of argileh drifting through windows, and the sight of doves flapping their wings toward home. These daughters of the diaspora feel love for a place they have never been, a home they cannot visit. But, as their father’s story comes to an end, they know that through his memories, they will always return.

A Palestinian family celebrates the stories of their homeland in this moving autobiographical picture book debut by Hannah Moushabeck. With heartfelt illustrations by Reem Madooh, this story is a love letter to home, to family, and to the persisting hope of people that transcends borders.