Hilwa's Gifts

4.8

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Author(s)

Safa Suleiman

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Anait Semirdzhyan

Publisher

Candlewick

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 01, 2025

ISBN

978-1536229424

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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.

Editor review

1 review

Heartfelt story with family traditions

May 08, 2025 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Rooted in Palestinian heritage, Hilwa's Gifts is a lovely story about family traditions and the bond between a grandson, his grandfather, and their favorite olive tree.

Anait Semirdzhyan’s digital artwork does a masterful job establishing the scene and progressing to the harvest. The beauty and activity of a Palestinian village flow seamlessly in an energetic pattern of full and reduced scenes. Each illustration evokes warmth and emotion, you can see how much love surrounds the harvest.

There is information about picking the fruit, processing, and making soap and oil with olives, but the book's take away is just sore cheeks from smiling, and a full heart from feeling the importance, love, and tradition of olives, family, and being together.
There is nothing religious in the text or about the current situation, the politics, the upheaval, or the occupation. However, one can choose to dive deeper into the story if one wishes.

The author's notes share that olive trees are some of the oldest cultivated trees in the world, and the pride of many Palestinian farmers. A glossary is included that translates Arab words and includes pronunciations.

The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is both engaging and inspiring. I recommend this book for young readers!