For one Armenian child, birthdays are a time for decorating the house with bunches of rose and mint and sumac, for eating beef dumplings with garlic yoghurt, and for baking cakes with family and friends. But birthdays are also a time for telling stories - stories of ancestors and homelands, of births and new beginnings, and of the land their family now calls home. For stories make up who we are, and the more stories that are told, the brighter this little child shines.

A magical tale about finding yourself in the stories of your ancestors and keeping their memories alive.

A window into the lives of a refugee family from Armenia.

About the Author
Kamee Abrahamian is a queer, feminist interdisciplinary artist, producer, and storyteller, born into an Armenian family displaced from the SWANA region. She lives on the traditional territories of the Anishinabewaki, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee, peoples, also known as Prince Edward County, Ontario. Lusine Ghukasyan graduated from the Yerevan Academy of Fine Arts in Armenia and the Marseille Mediterranean College of Fine Arts and Design. She strives to add a touch of magic to all her illustrations for children.

Reviews

STARRED REVIEW "An Armenian child of refugees muses on ancestral stories as vehicles of connection and identity in this moving picture book. Though far from the places her ancestors called home, she embraces the traditions they passed down to her, such as traditional birthday dishes and dried herbs and flowers for decor. As her mother helps her read a birthday card from her grandmother-written in Armenian-the little girl comes to see the stories of her family in a whole new light." - Foreword Reviews

"This tenderhearted picture book follows a young child of the Armenian diaspora as they learn about their heritage and traditions on the day of their birthday. The celebration that unfolds teaches them an important lesson in survival and resilience: Despite displacement in war, despite loss and fear, home is where our stories are told." - Catherine Hernandez, author and screenwriter of Scarborough the book and film

"At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is yet another brilliant example of Lantana covering themes which you would be hard pressed to find in many other children's books. Kamee Abrahamian has drawn on her own life experiences to be able to explain to children the importance of remembering those who have come before you and keeping memories alive." - Spy Readers

"On her birthday, an Armenian child decorates her home with rose, mint and sumac, smells dumplings cooking, and remembers her ancestors' journeys, taken "so that I could be born / very far from home / in a room full of their spirits". A colourful, poignant picture book about treasuring the stories of those who came before." -The Guardian Children's and teens roundup - the best new picture books and novels October 2024

"On her birthday, an Armenian child decorates her home with rose, mint and sumac, smells dumplings cooking, and remembers her ancestors' journeys, taken "so that I could be born / very far from home / in a room full of their spirits". A colourful, poignant picture book about treasuring the stories of those who came before." - The Guardian, The Best New Picture Books and Novels

"This is a beautifully engaging story which may have resonance for readers from 6 years upwards, but also for adults sharing the book with them, underlining the value and importance of drawing strength from stories of any family's history." - Just Imagine

Awards
Long-listed for Inclusive Books for Children Awards 2025 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781915244833
Author Kamee Abrahamian
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Lantana Publishing
Publisher Lantana Publishing
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 260mm * 260mm * 9mm