Hilwa's Gifts

Hilwa's Gifts is a beautiful picture book that introduces young readers to the tradition of olive harvesting in Palestine through the eyes of Ali, a young boy visiting his grandfather, Seedo. The story vividly portrays the multi-generational family gathering, the process of harvesting olives, and the pressing of oil, highlighting how these customs unite families across time and space. With graceful text, dynamic illustrations, and a glossary of Arabic words, this book offers a gentle exploration of cultural identity, family bonds, and the simple joys of tradition and nature. It's perfect for sparking conversations about heritage, food, and the importance of community.

A heartwarming picture-book debut brings a tradition many thousands of years old—harvesting and pressing olives into oil—vividly to life, showing how customs unite us across time and space. Ali has arrived in Palestine for a visit just in time for the olive harvest. His grandfather, Seedo, and Hilwa—his favorite tree—greet him in the grove, where Seedo explains that Hilwa has many gifts to share. Other family members whack the trees’ branches with sticks, singing “Zaytoon, ya zaytoon” while cousins clap and dance and happily pick up fallen olives. (Luckily, a gentle whack is all it takes for Hilwa’s fruits to rain down!) The next day, at the olive press, Ali watches the drip of gold liquid into a can, another of Hilwa’s gifts. Later, they picnic under the tree’s branches with hot mint tea, pita, and delicious olive oil swirled on hummus. Tradition is the greatest gift of all: the family gathering—generation after generation—to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Dynamic illustrations and a graceful text peppered with Arabic words, plus a glossary and author’s note, make for an intimate picture-book debut about a child discovering his heritage.