HBKU Press book named winner of Purple Dragonfly Book Awards

Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) yesterday announced that its “best-selling” children’s title, A Recipe for Home, written by Ghenwa Yehia, has been declared the winner in several categories at the 2018 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.A Recipe for Home, published in November 2017 by HBKU Press, was named the first-place winner in the categories of  “Cultural Diversity” and “Family Matters”. Also, it was awarded second place in the “Food Related” category; and given an honourable mention in the category “Picture Books 6 & Older”.In 2009, the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards were conceived to recognise and honour accomplished authors in the field of children’s literature, as well as highlighting up-and-coming, newly published authors and younger published writers.Divided into 56 distinct subject categories ranging from books on the environment and cooking to sports and family issues, the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards are geared towards stories that appeal to children of all ages. Books that are awarded the Purple Dragonfly Book Award are original, innovative and creative in both content and design, and provide children the very best in reading excellence, HBKU Press said in a statement.“I am delighted, humbled and honoured to receive such a prestigious award,” said Yehia. “This book is so close to my heart as it was written with my personal experiences in mind, but with the knowledge that in today’s multicultural world, in it is a message almost anyone can relate to. “I’m am so happy about the positive reception that it has received from parents, children, and now, industry experts. I am deeply grateful to HBKU Press for believing in this story and for the wonderful team who worked hard to bring my dream to fruition.”The book targets children aged 5-12 years though its content is relatable to both children and adults alike. Layan and her friends go on a mouth-watering journey where they explore different cultures and make a delectable discovery about the limitless love between family that knows no borders. Here, one will find the answer that every multi-cultural child asks: “where is my home?”. “We had a very tight competition this year and our judges definitely had their work cut out for them,” said Linda F Radke, president of Story Monsters, the organiser of the awards. “I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to all of our winners.”