Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story
By Malak Mattar
Community Agreements
Today we’re going to read a book that you may have different ideas and feelings about.
So it’s especially important to remember our community agreements.
I know you’ll listen to the book and to each other with open hearts and open minds.
I’m right here to help.
Have you heard that there is a war in Gaza?
What questions do you have about that?
Today we’re going to learn more about what’s happening.
The book we’re going to read is Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story. It’s about Malak, who lives in Gaza, which is part of Palestine. Malak wrote the story herself. It’s about when she was a few years older than you.
Let’s look at some maps so we can see where Gaza is.
When you feel sad or scared, is there something that makes you feel better?
When I feel sad, sometimes it makes me feel better to . . .
Share your idea with a reading buddy.
Let’s share some of our ideas. Who wants to start?
In this book, Sitti’s Bird, Malak is sad and scared, but she finds a way to make herself feel better. Let’s find out what happens . . .
We’ll read the book twice, so you’ll have lots of time to ask questions and share your ideas and feelings.
Let’s make sure everyone understood the book.
Why was Malak scared?
Why couldn’t she go to school?
What did Malak do that made her feel better?
What happened to Sitti’s home?
What did Ms Amal say about Malak’s paintings?
Why couldn’t Malak go to the international show of her paintings?
Now let’s read the book again. This time, we’ll stop and talk about what’s happening and answer any questions you have:
Why does Malak ask, “Sitti, are we in a cage, too?”
As you can see on the map, Gaza is a narrow strip of Palestinian land on the Mediterranean Sea. It is surrounded by fences and walls that were built by Israel. Israel says it needs the fences and walls to keep it safe. Israel controls all the gates—except one controlled by Egypt. They have ships in the ocean that control who can come into or leave Gaza, too. So all the people of Gaza, including Malak and her family, are completely cut off from the rest of Palestine and the rest of the world. Even before the war happening now, people in Gaza had a lot of trouble getting clean water, books, medical supplies and food.
Having all those fences and walls, and not being able to leave—do you think that makes Sitti feel like she is in a cage?
What are the explosions?
The explosions are bombs. Bombs are big, noisy, powerful blasts that blow up buildings and kill people.
Why can’t Malak go to school or leave her house for 50 days?
Malak wrote Sitti’s Bird about her experiences in 2014, when Israel bombed Gaza and then sent in tanks and soldiers for 50 days. Many Palestinian people, including 547 children, were killed. More than 100,000 people lost their homes, like Sitti does. It was a terrible time, but the war that’s happening now in Gaza is much worse.
Why can’t Malak go to the international show of her paintings?
Israel controls who can leave Gaza to visit a different country, and who can come to visit Gaza. They wouldn’t let Malak leave for her art show. If we wanted to go visit Gaza now to talk to children there, Israel would not let us in.
Where is Malak now?
When Malak got the highest grades of any student in Gaza and the second highest grades in all of Palestine, she was lucky enough to be able to study in Turkey and to travel to other countries. Right now, she is studying art in London, England. Here’s an article about that.
Here’s a video of Malak talking about writing Sitti’s Bird.
What is happening in Gaza now?
Right now, there is a terrible war happening in Gaza. Fighters in Gaza, who were angry about how Israel has been treating people in Gaza, broke down the wall and killed many Israeli soldiers and some Israelis who were at a music festival. They took 220 Israeli people hostage and took them back to Gaza—they wanted to trade them for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
This made many people in Israel feel scared and furious. They say they have to make sure that fighters from Gaza can’t attack Israel again. With lots and lots of bombs, they have destroyed half of the houses in Gaza, and many hospitals and schools. More than 10,000 people have been killed. There is no more clean water, and very little food. People all over the world are telling Israel to stop the war and open the gates and fences.
Everyone needs to feel safe, right? How can people in Israel and people in Gaza be safe?
Malak still uses art to share her feelings about Gaza. Here are some more of her paintings:
This is your chance to make a drawing about Sitti’s Bird or something the book makes you think about. If you want to write about the book instead of drawing, that’s fine. Or you can do both.
Who would like to show us what they made? Please tell us about it.