THE ROAD WE WALK

Picture Book Project by Sohila Khaled

This page presents the picture book project written & illustrated by Sohila Khaled currently in development.

All texts and illustrations are unpublished and shared for review and potential collaboration purposes.

This creative project is an author-led picture book for early readers (ages 5–8), created by the voice of its author/illustrator. It takes place along the Nile, in a landscape drawn from everyday life.
At its heart, the story looks at what we inherit ; paths, beliefs, ways of doing ; and what we do with them. Nothing is broken or rejected. Instead, the book suggests another possibility: to look again, to understand differently, and to choose with awareness. What matters here is not only action, but a way to question when do we obey, and when do we choose ?
By telling a story that is deeply tied to one place while speaking to experiences shared by many, the book has the potential to travel. It can speak to children, but also to adults who read with them, opening space for conversations about how heritage is carried forward.

- Illustrated Arab Team

The Story Board

Synopsis

Set in rural Egypt, this picture book follows Leila, a curious young girl, and her grandmother, who walk the same path together each day along the Nile.

As they walk, Leila begins to question why they always follow the same route. Her grandmother answers through stories and warnings, speaking of the river’s power and of paths that should not be disturbed. These stories reflect long-held beliefs passed down through generations.

When the grandmother becomes ill, Leila is faced with a moment of change. She steps beyond what she has been taught and takes a different path, guided by her own observations and questions. In doing so, she finds a way to help her grandmother and begins to see the river, and her place within it, differently.

When they return to their daily walk, the path is the same, but its meaning has changed. It is no longer followed out of habit or fear, but a chosen one.

Technical details

Target Audience: Children aged 5–8, with a strong appeal for shared reading with parents, educators, and mediators

Format: Author-led illustrated picture book

Trim Size: 21 × 30 cm

Length: 32 pages

Tone: Poetic and grounded

Original Language: Arabic

Translations Available: All languages except French

Sohila Khaled

Egyptian Author-Illustrator

Sohila Khaled is an Egyptian children's book illustrator. She has collaborated with many Arab publishing houses such as Al Balsam, Alia, Kalila wa Dimna, Raheeq Al Kotob and others. She draws inspiration from the Egyptian countryside and nature. Her work tends toward simplicity, both in shapes and colors, using various techniques such as paper collage, digital tools, and sometimes markers, with a palette of calm, limited colors. Her book Mama and Grandma received the Best Children's Book Award at the Cairo International Book Fair 2025.

She was a member of the judging panel for the Sawiris Cultural Competition in Egypt in 2023 and participated in the Bhutan Literature and Arts Festival in 2024 with a grant from ProHelvetia.

She works from her private studio, surrounded by books, plants, a cat and many cups of tea.