Jude’s New Bicycle

Taghreed Najjar, was awarded the 2021 Jordanian State Award for children Literature. She has been a several time nominee for the Astrid Lindgren award and a several-time winner and short listee of the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature. Her YA novel Whose Doll is This? Won the YA book of the year (2019)

With a portfolio spanning 4 decades, Taghreed – a multifaceted author - writes picture books, middle grade and young adult books. Her picture books have become classics that are read and enjoyed by generations. While her YA novels have found great success in addressing difficult subjects reflecting political and cultural realities in the region.
Several of Najjar’s books have been recommended by “White Ravens” and several have been translated to languages including English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, French and Turkish.

About the Illustrator

Lujaina Al-Assil studied Visual Communication and Interior Design at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University. She has been working in the field of illustration since 1969 and has also supervised the art production in several children magazines in Syria and other Arab countries. Since 2001, she has been the artistic advisor of children's books at the Syrian Ministry of Culture and has hosted six individual painting exhibitions in Syria, Jordan, France, and Italy. In addition to her art exhibitions, Lujaina has taken part and contributed in regional and international books fairs around the world and has presented several lectures and supervised many workshops in the field of children's book illustrations in Italy, Kuwait, Sharjah, Lebanon, Tunis, and Syria. Lujaina Al-Assil passed away on February 29 2024, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy.