I See the Sun in Afghanistan Paperback – July 1, 2011

One day, Habiba, a young Afghan girl, witnesses one of the terrible aspects of war, displacement.When her Uncle, Aunt, and cousins lose their home and come to live with Habiba and her family at their small compound, Habiba can't help but worry about the changes to come to her life and home.Leading by example, Habiba’s parents welcome their extended family into their home with open arms.Together they enjoy a delicious meal, say prayers, listen to a BBC broadcast before bed, then rearrange bedding and hang linens for room dividers until there is space for everyone.As Habiba settles down for the night, she thinks:We will share what we have with our cousins as they would with us. Our cousins are our family. Our family is strong. I am warm and safe with my family. I am happy to be right here.“I See the Sun in Afghanistan” is a lovely story that shows that even in dark times, kindness and compassion shine through.

As with I See The Sun in China and I See The Sun in Nepal, I See The Sun in Afghanistan takes us through a typical day in the eyes of a child and we learn about her family, culture, food, school and her world view. It's a story all too familiar as children will recognize the daily routines, but also learn and be fascinated by the differences--in clothing, names for family members, meals that are served, chores that need doing and types of schooling. They will also learn to not take for granted some of the basics that we have in America that are luxuries for others, such as running water.I like this series. It gives a view of life through the eyes of children from different lands that I have not seen in other books. Children will immediately relate to the children featured in the stories and that makes this an excellent series for social studies in the classroom or at home. - Biblio Reads Children's Book Review

A wonderful story for all children to learn about Afghanistan

Love this book! It is a great story for children. The book came in the condition it was promised.

Wonderful book for cultural literature.

I See the Sun in AfghanistanBy Dedie King, Illustrations by Judith Inglese2011, Satya House PublicationsReview by Debra L Scott, 12/14/2011A young girl, Habiba, walks through her day in a small village in Afghanistan. There is no war or conflict here, just normal life. Habiba does her chores, goes to school, and runs errands like children all over the world. This area is relatively isolated from the problems Afghanistan has faced elsewhere, and a bit more liberal minded, so the young reader will find some common ground here. The first person narrative writing has some very lovely moments like the passage below."The cool air tingles my face and bare arms as I step outside. I see the milky glow of dawn over the compound wall. I hear the lambs softly bleating their mothers awake. The doves coo in answer. The early morning sounds fill me with fresh hope for the day. "The book is written bilingually, in English and in Dari (Afghan Farsi), so could be read by speakers of either language. Even for English only speakers, the beautiful farsi script is interesting to look at. Children who love hearing about other cultures will find the book delightful, and perhaps those of Afghani descent will enjoy a book that shows their children what life was like for them or their ancestors from this region. At the end of the book is a glossary of terms that would be unfamiliar to most American children. There is also a very interesting section that tells about the region of Bamiyan, and why it is an area that allows girls to attend school, and why it has stayed relatively uninvolved with the war.

A beautiful book about a day of a child in Afghanistan. Written kindly and gently, with great respect for the culture.I am using it for the social studies work with an elementary school child and it works well for fostering appreciation of different customs around the world and reinforcing georgaphy.