Story: Ayah Younis
Illustrations: George Azmy
Arabic edition, 2016
Age group: 8–10 years

Omar uses his backpack to block others from using the seat next to him on the school bus. He doesn’t want any friend but himself, and has wished the city was for him only. Things take a turn when Omar meets a flora and fauna researcher in a school trip to the Children Museum. Learning on ecosystems prompts Omar to look around for new friends and life relations. This story employs metaphors from the nature and animals, to widen the reader’s perspective on the inevitability and joys of living together.

Commissioned by Leadership and Community Development program, Mercy Corps, Amman.