THE ROAD WE WALK


Picture Book Project by Sohila Khaled

Children in traditional dress laughing and playfully holding large pottery jars on their heads, with a pink background, sun, birds, and landscape elements.

Picture book Written & Illustrated by Sohila Khaled. Project currently in development.

All texts and illustrations are unpublished and shared for review and potential collaboration purposes.

© 2026 Sohila Khaled & Illustrated Arab. All rights reserved.

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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. The images are simple and the story unfolds quietly.

At its heart, the book is about transmission. It follows a moment of courage, and a slow change in the way the world is seen. It asks a question that feels small, but carries weight: when do we obey, and when do we choose?

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 how the story is structured and positioned. Rooted in a specific context, the project carries themes that can be understood across cultures. This allows it to reach both children and the adults who read with them, and to circulate meaningfully beyond its original context.

- Illustrated Arab Team

The Story Board

  • A colorful illustration of two women in traditional dresses, standing outdoors on a pink background with a sun, clouds, birds, and plants. One woman is wearing a black and white dress, and the other is wearing a white dress with floral print. There are two black cats and three blue birds on the ground.
  • A colorful cartoon illustration of a sunrise over the sea with a pink sky, palm trees, and buildings on a small hill. Two women in traditional dress walk hand in hand on a sandy beach, and a black cat walks nearby. There is Arabic text in the sky and on the sand, expressing morning and love.
  • Colorful illustration of three women wearing traditional Middle Eastern attire, laughing and splashing water on their heads at a seaside. In the background, a pink sunset sky, palm trees, a blue sea, and distant buildings are visible. Several people and animals are on the beach, engaging in different activities.
  • A black and white drawing of a girl with a headband, holding a watering can and watering plants with thought bubbles around her containing questions in Persian.
  • A black and white illustration depicting a girl with braided hair waving her hand, a woman lying in bed with headphones, a black cat sitting nearby, and a window showing a sunrise with clouds. The scene is bordered with heart shapes and there is a small table with a lamp and a cup.
  • A cartoon illustration of a black cat with big eyes and a pink mouth sitting at a table with medicine bottles, pills, a spoon, and a glass of water. There is a speech bubble in Arabic above the cat.
  • Cartoon girl with long black hair wearing a colorful headband, touching her lips in a thinking pose, with a dog and Arabic text in a speech bubble beside her.
  • A black and white drawing of a person standing happily under a large hammock stretched between two trees, with a cat beside one tree and a smaller plant nearby. The scene includes stars, a crescent moon, and a handwritten note in Arabic.
  • A hand-drawn illustration showing a hand peeking out from behind curtains, with a night scene outside including a crescent moon, stars, and mountains. There is Arabic text at the bottom.
  • Line drawing of a girl in a floral skirt walking in water, with fish swimming below her, and Arabic text on the right.
  • Drawing of a girl with a boy on her shoulders, holding a watering can, surrounded by stars and a crescent moon, with Arabic text.
  • A black-and-white line illustration with a cloud, palm trees, and Arabic text written around the trees and cloud.
  • A girl wearing a starry night cap and a star-patterned robe is reaching out towards a butterfly in a garden at night. A crescent moon, stars, and a building with a domed roof are visible in the sky. There is Arabic text above the girl and near the butterfly, and the drawing has a whimsical, cartoon style.
  • A black and white drawing of a landscape with trees, stars, and a crescent moon. There is Arabic text in a speech bubble in the upper right part of the image.
  • A black and white cartoon drawing of a picnic scene with a girl sitting on a blanket, surrounded by palm trees, a bottle, and a guitar. There are birds and clouds in the sky. Arabic text is written on the image.
  • Simple black and white drawing of two children and a cat, with Arabic text on the right side and stars, moon, and a window in the background.
  • Children dressed in traditional Middle Eastern or North African clothing, smiling and waving, outdoors with palm trees, hills, a cat, and a cloud in the background.
  • A black and white illustration of children having fun outdoors. Some children are singing and dancing, displaying joyful expressions. One girl is holding a doll, and others are wearing headscarves with traditional attire. The background features trees and a hilly landscape with the sun and a cloud in the sky.

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, Nelly 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

Young woman wearing a black hijab and white shirt, sitting at a desk in a home office, smiling and resting her chin on her hand, with a notebook and pen in front.

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 the Masterclass Programme by ProHelvetia, Switzerland.

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