Description

In Morocco, food has never been just food. It’s a grandmother’s hands, an afternoon stretching into golden hour, the couscous always ready, the mint tea poured with love, the table that is the heart of everything.

Zarda follows Ali, the joyful, imaginative hero of Agafay Books, on his most delicious adventure yet: a nap at his grandmother’s house, where food becomes something far greater than what’s on the plate. Vivid illustrations bring his dream to life. A round bread becomes a car, a briouate folds into a plane, a Majhool date launches like a rocket, and a forest of broccoli stretches endlessly. In Ali’s imagination, the Moroccan table isn’t just a place to eat; it’s a universe to explore. At its heart, a glass of atay steams gently as Ali sips slowly, eyes closed, tasting something that belongs to us all.

More than a children’s book, Zarda is a love letter to Moroccan food culture and the memory shared in every meal. Its name comes from “Zerda,” one of the great Melhoun poems by Houcine Toulali, a timeless ode to abundance and gathering around food. In a fast-moving world, this book invites families to pause and rediscover the richness that has always lived on their table. Because when a child sees a briouate as a plane and a date as a rocket, they are learning to love what their ancestors loved, and to carry that wonder forward.

• A dream born from memory: inspired by the legendary Melhoun poem Zerda by Si El Houcine Toulali, rooted in the heart of Moroccan food culture.
• Bilingual storytelling in Arabic and English, celebrating the flavors and imagination of Moroccan childhood in two languages at once.
• Vivid illustrations that turn food into adventure, sparking creativity, cultural pride and a love of healthy local eating from age 2.
• A sturdy 190x190mm boardbook, thick pages made for little hands to hold and explore — built to be passed down and treasured.
• The perfect gift for Moroccan families, even more beautiful paired with the Zarda Tote Bag — for every child aged 3 to 103

Why this book matters:

• In Morocco, the table is sacred. It is where families gather, where stories are told, where children learn without knowing they are learning. Yet in a world of fast food and forgotten flavors, this connection to our food heritage is quietly slipping away. Zarda is a gentle, joyful act of reclamation.
• Named after one of the most beloved poems of Moroccan Melhoun, this book roots itself in a cultural tradition that belongs to every Moroccan child
• Reminding them that their heritage is not just something to be studied, but something to be tasted, imagined and celebrated.
• Ali is not just a character. He is a model. A child who finds wonder in a briouate, magic in a date, and a whole universe in a bowl of couscous. In teaching children to see their food with imagination and gratitude, Zarda plants the seeds of healthy eating, cultural pride, and a lifelong love of local flavors.

Why Children (and Parents) Love This Book:

• Imaginative & Joyful: A dream sequence that turns everyday Moroccan food into rockets, planes and forests; sparking creativity and wonder on every single page
• Culturally Rooted: Illustrations filled with the colors, textures and flavors of authentic Moroccan cuisine, giving children a world they recognize and parents a world they remember
• Inspired by Living Heritage: Named after the iconic Melhoun poem Zerda by Houcine Toulali, connecting children to one of Morocco’s most treasured artistic and oral traditions
• Perfect for Storytime: Narrative storytelling with rhythm and warmth, made to be read aloud at the table, after lunch, or in the drowsy golden hour of a grandmother’s afternoon
• Bilingual from the first bite: Arabic and English woven naturally together, celebrating Moroccan food culture in both languages simultaneously
• Sturdy & Beautifully Made: A 190x190mm boardbook built to last, with thick pages made for little hands — for every child aged 2 to 102