Review by Booklist Review
Ali arrives in Palestine with his mother to visit the family's olive harvest. He and his seedo (grandfather) pass through the olive groves to visit Hilwa, the beloved tree Seedo planted with his own grandfather. As Seedo explains to Ali about the plentiful gifts, they see the rest of the family whacking the trees. "Zaytoon, ya zaytoon," they sing as Hilwa and the other trees shower down olives, showing Ali the plentiful gifts that olive trees bring. As Ali and his mother head home, Seedo has one more gift to share: a branch from Hilwa to serve as a reminder for his family--and of Palestine. This timely book, based on Suleiman's experience harvesting olives with her family, highlights an underrepresented culture. Authenticity and celebration are at the heart of Hilwa's Gifts, as Arabic terms are incorporated throughout the story (supplemented by a glossary and an author's note about Palestine). The nostalgia from visiting family is encapsulated through the earth-toned color palette and textures from Semirdzhyan's digital watercolor illustrations. The last spread in particular captures this feeling by showing that family traditions can surpass space and time. Ali plants Hilwa in his own backyard just like Seedo and his grandfather did once before. Combining a centuries-old practice with the story about a Palestinian family and their relationship to the land makes Hilwa's Gifts an absolute treasure.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Harvest season deepens feelings of connection in a work that highlights olive trees' enduring role in Palestinian culture. When Ali's family visit to Palestine coincides with the event, the boy follows his grandfather, Seedo, into the family's olive grove and heads straight for Hilwa--"the tree Seedo planted with his grandfather." Climbing Hilwa, Ali observes his grandmother, Sitty, whacking the branches of another tree and singing as olives fall. Semirdzhyan's digital illustrations portray a lush landscape bustling with activity as relations, portrayed in fluid lines, harvest olives into patched woven baskets, and Ali learns about all that the yield provides. A variety of framing choices keep the visual pacing lively, leading to an intergenerational family picnic that, amid the bounty, proves "the greatest gift." A glossary and an author's note conclude. Ages 3--7. (Apr.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Ali visits his grandparents in Palestine, where they grow olive trees on their land. Ali and his seedo (grandfather) have a close bond; Seedo twirls Ali in the air and gives piggyback rides. It's olive harvesting season, and they visit one particular tree named Hilwa ("sweet one") that Seedo planted with his grandfather. Ali's sitty (grandmother) whacks the branches of trees with a stick to harvest the olives, a method that has been passed down through generations. Olive-gathering is a festive affair: Ali's cousins collect them in baskets while singing "zaytoon, ya zaytoon" ("olives, oh olives") and dancing. When Ali and Seedo go to the olive press, Seedo explains that olives are one of Hilwa's many gifts. Hilwa's last gift is a cutting that Ali plants upon returning home, while Seedo and Sitty watch via video call. Digitally rendered illustrations authentically represent an idyllic Palestinian home and landscape, but the trees and loving extended family remain the focal points. A gentle story about intergenerational bonds and the significance of olive trees to Palestinians as both sustenance and a metaphor representing closeness to the land. An author's note explains the basis for the story in a childhood memory; a glossary of Arabic words is also appended. Julie Hakim AzzamMay/June 2025 p.74 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
On a trip to visit his Palestinian grandparents, a young boy discovers all that olive trees have to offer. Ali's visits have never before coincided with the olive harvest. As he and Seedo (Grandfather) stroll through the grove, Ali dashes over to Hilwa, his favorite olive tree. Just then, Ali notices his grandmother using a stick to knock olives from a tree while his cousins happily gather the fruit into a woven basket. Concerned, Ali asks, "Doesn't it hurt?" Seedo reassures Ali that they'd never hurt the olive trees: "Their gifts are far too precious." Still, Ali wants to pick Hilwa's olives carefully one by one but eventually relents, gently whacking at its limbs to release the olives. Ali soon learns more about all that the trees provide: olive oil, pulp for fires, soap, and more. Soon Ali's trip comes to a close, and Hilwa's final gift is revealed--Seedo gives one of the tree's branches to Ali so the boy can take a part of his heritage home. Suleiman's happy childhood memories come alive in this heartwarming story of tradition passed down through generations. Semirdzhyan's earth-toned, digitally created illustrations capture the family affair that is the olive season, from Ali's relatives clapping and singing merrily as they harvest fruit to everyone sitting down for a picnic among the ancient groves. An Arabic glossary and author's note provide further context. An authentic and heartfelt celebration of family and nature.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
