The Forever Tree

by Asmaa Hussein, Heather Greenwood (Illustrator)

In the midst of a cold, gloomy winter day, Zainab and her classmates long for the full bloom and radiant warmth of summer. They all miss the hot sun, the full trees, and the outdoor adventures that summer brings. While they take turns describing their favorite trees and pastimes, Zainab listens attentively. She decides she has a completely different tree in mind -a tree unlike any other. A treebthar can be found in only one place: Paradise.

Text in English and Arabic

22 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

My name is Asmaa Hussein, founder of this wholesome publishing company based in Canada. (But my official title is "Director of Awesomeness.")

Since 2015, Ruqaya's Bookshelf's mission has been to publish bright, fun, and engaging Islamic children’s books to add to your home and school libraries.

All our books feature Muslim characters and protagonists, because we believe representing YOU matters!

Diversity in children’s literature contributes astronomically to your child's character education (not to mention, seeing someone who looks like you in a storybook is pretty darn exciting!).

After servitude to God, my daughter Ruqaya is my greatest motivation. As a widowed mother to a rambunctious and beautiful girl, I strive to show her an example of dedication, determination, and excellence.

I named this publishing company after her – Ruqaya’s Bookshelf – because she loves books more than anything.