A Lemon for Safiya - Book Launch - Jemima Shafei-Ongu

About the Book

A Lemon for Safiya is a gentle and respectful story about a family’s compassionate response to a disoriented older woman whose ‘eyes held a sadness as deep as the ocean’. Written in English with sections of translated Arabic, Jemima Shafei-Ongu (Aslan and Benny, illustrated by Jade Goodwin) beautifully handles natural bilingual communication across three generations. Nisaluk Chantanakom’s exquisite illustrations deepen the story by giving insight into a lost past and a distant homeland. Each page invites reflection, just as ‘every line on her face seemed to hold a story’. Suitable for preschool and primary-aged children, the book provides discussion points on cultural diversity, language preservation, respect for elders, multisensory memories, and the different ways families communicate and function. Empathy and humanity are depicted on every page as the old woman finds her way back home with the help of young Safiya and her family. At the end of the story, the woman gives Safiya a lemon, but the true gift is Safiya’s growing understanding that relationships and memories shape who we are. A Lemon for Safiya is an excellent resource for parents and educators who want to explore themes of family heritage, aging, generational changes and compassion. 

Author Bio

Jemima is a Sydney-based author, psychologist and teacher with a passion for picture books and a commitment to inclusion in children’s literature. She crafts heartfelt stories that depict diversity as a natural part of life.

Inspired by her family and community’s rich heritage, Jemima explores themes of well-being, belonging and connection, in her writing.

When she’s not writing, Jemima enjoys watercolour painting, learning the darbuka and playing lip sync battles with her adult daughters. She resides on Dharug Country with her partner, their mini schnauzer and whichever of their three daughters are in the country at the time.