Initially published in Egypt, The Illustrator’s Notebook is an interesting combination of picture book, memoir and scrapbook that documents the thoughts and illustrations of Egyptian artist Mohieddin Ellabbad. Perhaps one of the most distinguishable design features of this book is that it opens (like the original version) from right to left. The original Arabic text remains incorporated into the artwork, while the English translations are placed in the margins. Each page has it’s own heading and theme, and the book as a whole is easy to follow, despite the collage-like nature of the art. The fact that the reader has to flip pages from right to left (also lending them to read the right pages before the left pages, although each page is rather independent of the other) and is visually exposed to Arabic writing provides a rather tangible experience into Arabic culture.

In addition to the book’s design, its topics strike a nice balance between coming from a uniquely Egyptian point of view and being universal in nature. Young readers will therefore relate to certain incidents or characters, but still learn things they didn’t know about Arabic culture. A nice exemplification of this is the page entitled “Left and Right,” where Mohieddin depicts an Arabic hero juxtaposed against a flying Superman. Superman is shown flying from left to right while the Arabic hero rides from right to left. Mohieddin notes that since people of Arab-speaking countries read and write from right to left, they also tend to draw in the same direction.

Also included in the book are replications of photographs and mementos. With all of these pages, whether they include illustrations, photographs or other souvenirs, Mohieddin includes reflective comments and raises interesting questions about the nature of art and the world. At one point he asks readers to spot the difference between two illustrations depicting same subject but each completed under differing emotional states. On another page, Mohieddin asks readers to take a second look at the world around them. He asks, “…have you ever looked at the beautiful landscape that is drawn right in the palm of your hand?” This book can thus be an effective way to visually introduce children to Arabic culture and to encourage children to look at the world a bit differently.