I Want You to Know - (Lily Wong) by Mona Damluji (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This poem with vibrant and colorful illustrations opens a conversation with young readers about family bonds and the lasting impacts of war.

Anyone who has had to leave "home" and readers who loved the author's picture book collaboration with Innosanto Nagara, Together, will want to read I Want You to Know.

"I want you to know that you are still of the place
That our ancestors have known.
The place that they called home."

How do we speak with our children about wars that took place where generations of our ancestors once called home? How can we explain that those wars continue to reverberate in our lives, many years or even decades after the combat has ended? And why is it so difficult, complicated, and even painful to dream of our return? I Want You to Know is a poem of possibility, of legacy, and of hope.

Damluji originally wrote a version of this poem for her daughter on the morning of the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, a place where generations of Damluji's family had lived, loved, and cared for one another until it was no longer safe to stay. Her daughter has heard many family stories about life in Iraq, but there have also been many silences. I Want You to Know opens a conversation that helps to fill that void.

Review Quotes

"Aching, beautiful, full of lyric and full of love, I Want You to Know has found a way to explain war and diaspora to young readers with simultaneous clarity and gentleness, and enduring hope."
--Safia Elhillo, author of Bright Red Fruit and Home Is Not A Country

"I Want You to Know is an essential story for kids today who have only known a world shaped by colonialism and resource wars. Damluji has yet again found a way to tackle a difficult topic with a gentle touch."
--Innosanto Nagara, author of A is for Activist

"Oh! This exquisite book! With perfectly paced elegant words, and brilliantly appealing art, it is a book for all who have been separated from lands they called home. It's for children and grandparents and parents and teachers, honoring ancestors, stories, memory, the difficulty of exile, the power of remembering and passing on tradition and beauty. War is never what anyone was born for. I love it so much and am hereby ordering ten!"--Naomi Shihab Nye, author of Habibi and The Tiny Journalist

About the Author

Mona Damluji writes, studies and teaches about oil cultures, cinema history and the Middle East as an assistant professor at UC Santa Barbara. She is a co-producer of the Peabody and Emmy-nominated web series The Secret Life of Muslims, and has curated exhibits and events around the globe that feature path-breaking art, film, photography, and comics. Mona and her partner live in California with their two hilarious children.

Ishtar Bäcklund Dakhil intertwines her Swedish and Iraqi heritage in her vibrant art. A graduate of Konstfack and California College of the Arts, Ishtar's primary passion lies in the enchanting world of children's books. Her creative exploration of the picture book format has led to innovative ways of engaging readers, incorporating virtual reality techniques for interactive experiences. With a keen focus on the interplay between text and image, Ishtar crafts narratives that resonate with depth and imagination. Her global travels inspire process-based workshops and mural projects, creating spaces for diverse storytelling and collaboration. Rooted in cultural exchange, her artistry reflects a celebration of diversity. She lives in Sweden and Australia.