This contemporary fairy tale is set in the Land of the Crescent Moon, where oppressive rulers have captured all the blue birds and imprisoned the population in fear and suffering. Young Azizi lives with his parents under this iron-fisted regime, watching as the leaders grow fat and indulgent while the people shrink from hunger and oppression until they are nearly invisible. When a small blue bird escapes from the palace cage, it inspires Azizi—now no bigger than a pine nut—to take action against tyranny. Together, Azizi and the brave little bird embark on a courageous journey to liberate their people from the cruel and greedy rulers and restore peace to their land. The colorful brush and acrylic illustrations bring this allegorical tale to life with vivid imagery that contrasts the darkness of oppression with the hope symbolized by the little blue bird, as the story draws inspiration from Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution. The book is a powerful narrative about freedom and resistance for young readers. mjw
| Title: Azizi And The Little Blue Bird Author: Laila Koubaa Illustrator: Mattias De Leeuw Publisher: Lantana Publishing Ltd. Copyright: 2025 Original Language: Flemish Translator: David Colmer Original Title: Azizi en de lkeine blauwe vogel Original Publisher: Book Island. New Zealand Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-83629-009-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-10 Genre: Picture Book, Fairy Tale Book setting: Tunisia Author’s ethnicity: Tunisian and Flemish Author’s residence: Flanders, Belgium Illustrator’s ethnicity: Belgian Illustrator’s residence: Belgium Subjects: Activism, Fairy Tales, Freedom, Jasmine Revolution, Oppression, Politics and government, Social justice |

