Amira's Suitcase

œAmira's Suitcase is a touching story about hope, generosity, and the quiet magic of kindness. It begins when Amira finds a seed sprouting in an abandoned suitcase. Despite her own hardships, she nurtures the tiny plant, sharing her care and compassion with it. As the sprout grows, so too does the community around her. What begins as a personal act of hope becomes a catalyst for connection and friendship in a new land.

This gentle, lyrical picture book subtly introduces themes of migration, displacement, and resilience, wrapped in a simple metaphor that children can understand-growing something new from what seems forgotten. Amira's story shows that even in uncertain times, kindness can take root and blossom into something powerful and unifying.

Shortlisted for the 2022 CBCA Book Awards: Early Childhood

Educational Benefits:

• Explores themes of empathy, kindness, and generosity.
• Supports social-emotional learning and community building.
• Introduces ideas around migration and starting over.
• Encourages observation of plant growth and nature-based metaphors.

Classroom Ideas:

• Grow seeds in class and document the process like Amira.
• Write stories about something small that grows into something big.
• Create a class kindness tree where students add leaves for acts of kindness.
• Discuss metaphors and symbolism in visual storytelling.

Information:

• Ages: 3+ years
• Format: Picture Book
• Themes: Kindness, hope, displacement, community