A story
Ella, Noura and Zaatar Pack a Friday Picnic
On Friday morning, Ella went to help her friend Noura pack a picnic basket. Flap-flap! Zaatar the green parrot landed on the handle.
"Squawk! A picnic? I'll help! I'm an expert at food words. Mostly eating them."
Noura held up a warm round loaf. "خبز, khubz, bread."
"Khubz," said Ella, sniffing it. Mmm! Can you say it too? Khubz!
Noura's mum, Umm Faisal, opened the fridge. "جبن, jubn, cheese, and حليب, halib, milk."
"Jubn and halib," Ella repeated, packing them in.
"These are my favourite," said Noura. "تمر, tamr, dates. Sweet like honey!"
Zaatar tried to sneak one. "Zaatar!" laughed Noura. "Wait for the picnic!"
"And the fruit," said Ella.
"تفاح, tuffah, apples, and موز, mawz, bananas," said Noura.
"Mawz!" giggled Zaatar. "It sounds like a sneeze! MAWZ!" Everyone laughed. Ella stacked them carefully so they wouldn't get squashed.
Last, Umm Faisal filled a flask. "ماء, ma', water. On a sunny day it's the most important of all."
Zaatar sang his picnic song. Pretend to pack the basket!
Khubz and jubn go in the basket,
Halib, tamr, don't you mask it,
Tuffah, mawz, a sneeze or two,
Ma' for me and ma' for you!
At the park they spread a blanket under a big tree. Then Ella noticed a boy sitting alone on a bench, with only a small ball and no food.
"Do you think he's hungry?" she whispered.
Noura nodded. They took some khubz, a little jubn, two tamr and a tuffah, and walked over.
"Marhaba," said Ella shyly. "Would you like to share our picnic?"
"Shukran!" said the boy. His name was Yousef, and he had come with his grandpa, who soon joined them with a bag of sweet oranges.
They ate, laughed and played catch until the sun went low.
"We gave away some of our food," said Ella, "but somehow we ended up with more."
"That's the magic of sharing," said Umm Faisal. "Food tastes better when everyone has some."
Words we learned:
خبز — khubz — bread
جبن — jubn — cheese
حليب — halib — milk
تمر — tamr — dates
تفاح — tuffah — apples
موز — mawz — bananas
ماء — ma' — water
Let's practice:
1. Match the word to its meaning: خبز / موز / ماء → water / bread / bananas
2. Fill in the missing word: Dates are sweet. In Arabic, dates are _____ (tamr).
3. Say it aloud like Zaatar's sneeze: MAWZ!
4. Find and circle the word تفاح: تمر — تفاح — موز — تفاح
Answers: 1) خبز = bread, موز = bananas, ماء = water. 2) تمر. 4) The 2nd and 4th words.
"Squawk! A picnic? I'll help! I'm an expert at food words. Mostly eating them."
Noura held up a warm round loaf. "خبز, khubz, bread."
"Khubz," said Ella, sniffing it. Mmm! Can you say it too? Khubz!
Noura's mum, Umm Faisal, opened the fridge. "جبن, jubn, cheese, and حليب, halib, milk."
"Jubn and halib," Ella repeated, packing them in.
"These are my favourite," said Noura. "تمر, tamr, dates. Sweet like honey!"
Zaatar tried to sneak one. "Zaatar!" laughed Noura. "Wait for the picnic!"
"And the fruit," said Ella.
"تفاح, tuffah, apples, and موز, mawz, bananas," said Noura.
"Mawz!" giggled Zaatar. "It sounds like a sneeze! MAWZ!" Everyone laughed. Ella stacked them carefully so they wouldn't get squashed.
Last, Umm Faisal filled a flask. "ماء, ma', water. On a sunny day it's the most important of all."
Zaatar sang his picnic song. Pretend to pack the basket!
Khubz and jubn go in the basket,
Halib, tamr, don't you mask it,
Tuffah, mawz, a sneeze or two,
Ma' for me and ma' for you!
At the park they spread a blanket under a big tree. Then Ella noticed a boy sitting alone on a bench, with only a small ball and no food.
"Do you think he's hungry?" she whispered.
Noura nodded. They took some khubz, a little jubn, two tamr and a tuffah, and walked over.
"Marhaba," said Ella shyly. "Would you like to share our picnic?"
"Shukran!" said the boy. His name was Yousef, and he had come with his grandpa, who soon joined them with a bag of sweet oranges.
They ate, laughed and played catch until the sun went low.
"We gave away some of our food," said Ella, "but somehow we ended up with more."
"That's the magic of sharing," said Umm Faisal. "Food tastes better when everyone has some."
Words we learned:
خبز — khubz — bread
جبن — jubn — cheese
حليب — halib — milk
تمر — tamr — dates
تفاح — tuffah — apples
موز — mawz — bananas
ماء — ma' — water
Let's practice:
1. Match the word to its meaning: خبز / موز / ماء → water / bread / bananas
2. Fill in the missing word: Dates are sweet. In Arabic, dates are _____ (tamr).
3. Say it aloud like Zaatar's sneeze: MAWZ!
4. Find and circle the word تفاح: تمر — تفاح — موز — تفاح
Answers: 1) خبز = bread, موز = bananas, ماء = water. 2) تمر. 4) The 2nd and 4th words.
