Daniel and Ismail

“Peris renders both boys in black-and-white against a colorful background, quietly emphasizing their similarities and evoking the constraints of their communities. The story’s gentle emphasis on the power of play to bridge difference is relatable and persuasive.” —Publishers Weekly

“Daniel and Ismail . . . tells the story of two boys, one Palestinian and one Jewish, who overcome their parents’ objections to form a friendship on the soccer field. The plot subtly acknowledges that a new generation will have to figure out how to make peace and that it is possible for children to lead us.” —Miriam Udel, The New York Times

"Perhaps the best thing to come out of this book will be the conversations you will have about it afterward . . . It’s very easy to tell our children that all people are equal, deserving of respect and safety, but a lot harder to explain to them why the world doesn’t always reflect those values. For younger kids, exposing them to the beautiful letters of Hebrew and Arabic and to these children of different backgrounds, two kids who understand the burdens of their differing experiences in the world, might be a seed of peace that you can start to sow." — Lior Zaltzman, Kveller

“...An alter­na­tive fable, one where the joy of friend­ship and the com­fort­ing dreams of their inte­ri­or lives allow Daniel and Ismail to ignore the hatred which threat­ens them…. The book’s end­ing is reas­sur­ing, although not with­out a touch of sad­ness. Jew­ish and Pales­tin­ian chil­dren play togeth­er, both on the field and in their dreams of the future. There is no men­tion of the adults who react­ed with hor­ror at the spon­ta­neous com­pan­ion­ship of two boys with a soc­cer ball on a beau­ti­ful day. Daniel and Ismail is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed for chil­dren and will also be of inter­est to adults who are hope­ful about the future.” —Emily Schneider, Jewish Book Council

“This book will not end the heartbreaking conflict in the Middle East, but it can help children see past the news headlines and their parents’ rhetoric and hopefully bring new ideas for respecting the humanity of those involved.” — Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Review

“Daniel and Ismail is a remarkable multilingual picture book that confronts the very adult conflicts that kids around the world face, and shows us that different cultures, religions, societies, and languages can all share the same page.” — Crafty Moms Share

“A multilingual story (Arabic, English, Hebrew) of hope, soccer and friendship between a boy in Israel and a boy in Palestine. A timely and delightful book—perfect for helping children understand larger conflicts. The bright illustrations and artful layout of the text bring an upbeat mood to the pages.” —Jen Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore (Pittsburgh, PA)

-- Emily Schneider * Jewish Book Counc