Nahnu baqoon ma baqiya al-za’atar wa al-zeitoun
“As long as za’atar and olives exist, we’ll exist.”

When the annual Palestine Heritage Festival is canceled, a young Palestinian girl refuses to let her community’s celebration disappear. Inspired by the resilience of her ancestors, she sets out to find a new home for it, and her search connects her with seven other Palestinian kids, each on their own path of discovery.

In WATERMELON SEEDS, kids navigate friendship, family, identity, and belonging in eight interconnected stories woven together like tatreez embroidery, amplifying Palestinian voices and illustrating the experiences of children in diaspora.

Edited by Haneen Oriqat
Characters contributed by:
Haneen Oriqat

Hannah Moushabeck

Susan Muaddi Darraj

Jessica Khoury

Jasmine Warga

Jackie Khalilieh

Omar Abed

Salam Zahr