Book Review: The Illustrator's Notebook by Mohieddin Ellabad

The Illustrator's Notebook, written and illustrated by Moheiddin Ellabad is a composite of many short writings accompanied by elaborate photographs and illustrations. The brief essays on each page describe the many thoughts and experiences of the author. Each page reveals a part of the author that is personal and cultural. I believe this book to be one of the most authentic pieces of Middle Eastern literature I have come across. The book opens and reads from right to left, traditional to Middle Eastern culture. There are also peek holes through the writing that give the reader an idea of what it is like to live in the Middle East. Ellabbad was born in Cairo, Egypt, and speaks of his experiences there and other places such as the Perfume Coast and the United Arab Emirates. This book provides information about the past and present, Arabic script, food, animals, personal experience, government, henna, and many other aspects of the Middle Eastern culture. Ellabbad also attempts to compare Arab culture to European culture when he addresses the differences in skin color and reading and writing styles. The book could also be considered somewhat biographical, because it explains the different thoughts, ideas, and steps Ellabbad took towards becoming a successful illustrator and author. The last page is a brief autobiography of Ellabbad accompanied with a photo of him drawn by his son. While I was reading this book, I imagined it was somewhat representative of our modern blogs. Each page containing a new "blog post" about the author's ideas for the day. The book was very enjoyable to read and relate to, while also teaching some interesting cultural values, places, ideas, and activities native to the Arabic culture.

Book Info: Ellabbad, Mohieddin. The Illustrator's Notebook, Groundwood Books, 2006. Originally published in Arabic in 1999 by Editions Mango Jeunesse.

Reviewed by Nichole Humitz