"This collection of poems is both dedicated to and inspired by Janna Jihad Ayyad, the 'tiny journalist' who began filming the Israeli occupation of Palestine in her West Bank village when she was only seven years old. But the book covers far more than just Janna's story, as Nye — whose family is also from the West Bank — struggles through the terror and grief of living under apartheid and losing her father, confronts U.S. support for the occupation, and still captures moments of hope and joy in the resistance.
'Some say Israel would be happiest
if we just disappeared. Like in a magic show?
Our magic is that we are
still here and were always here.'"
Publisher American Poets Continuum
Publication Date 2019-04-09
Section Poetry / All Staff Suggestions / Fiction Suggestions / Kaleigh O.
Format Paperback
ISBN 9781942683735
“A moving testament to the impact one person can have and the devastating effects of occupation.” ―Washington Post Best Poetry Books of 2019
Internationally beloved poet Naomi Shihab Nye places her Palestinian American identity center stage in her latest full-length poetry collection for adults. The collection is inspired by the story of Janna Jihad Ayyad, the "Youngest Journalist in Palestine," who at age 7 began capturing videos of anti-occupation protests using her mother's smartphone. Nye draws upon her own family's roots in a West Bank village near Janna's hometown to offer empathy and insight to the young girl's reporting. Long an advocate for peaceful communication across all boundaries, Nye’s poems in The Tiny Journalist put a human face on war and the violence that divides us from each other.
