Salma reconnects with her first language—and with her grandmother—in the latest book in this award-winning series perfect for fans of Dory Fantasmagory and Stella & Marigold.
Salma Keeps Her Word (Book 5 of the Salma Series) by Danny Ramadan
Published by Annick Press; September 22, 2026
Genres: Children’s Fiction | Middle Grade
Pages: 128 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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T/W: Sadness, LGBTQ
Rated: Grade 1 – 4
POV: 3rd Person
★★★★★ | 5 / 5
Summary
When her grandmother visits from Syria, Salma struggles to keep up with Tita’s Arabic—and Tita doesn’t want to learn English. Even worse, Tita seems disappointed in Salma. Salma is eager to share her life with Tita, but speaking to each other feels harder than ever.
With her own creativity and help from her friends, including jokester Ayman and kind Granny Donya, Salma discovers all the ways we can communicate without words—from a backgammon tournament, to body language, to music—and what Arabic means to her family, her community, and herself.
Featuring several Arabic words and expressions, the book also includes a bonus connect-the-dots Arabic alphabet activity.
Twenty emotive black-and-white illustrations by Anna Bron complement award-winning author Danny Ramadan’s trademark honest, heartfelt, and often humorous writing.
My Review
Thank you, Netgalley and Annick Press, for allowing me to read an advance copy of Salma Keeps Her Word in exchange for an honest review.
Danny Ramadan has created a wonderful series for children that follows a character who has moved across the world from Damascus, Syria, to live in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It imagines the life of a new immigrant in light of how difficult it can be to adjust to a new city, new language and new culture.
I had not read the previous 4 books before reading this one, but it was a joy to read the fifth. A young reader does not need to have read the first four books to understand the story or what is going on. The language is simple, ideally suited for 8- or 9-year-olds to understand what is going on. The illustrations beautifully capture the essence of the scenes.
I really liked how the story focused on the root of a person’s identity, their language, and how important it is. For a child who has learned English as a second language, it can be difficult to navigate the complexities of switching between two languages. This story visualizes it so clearly: the struggle of Salma as she learns to continue speaking her native tongue, Arabic, while immersed in English on a day-to-day basis.
My parents were immigrants to Canada back in the 80s, and they mostly spoke English with my sister and me when we were young. They were assimilating into the city and adjusting to belonging. They had jobs that required them to speak English. Yet we didn’t focus on our own mother tongue, Urdu, until my maternal grandmother came from Pakistan to live with us. She did not know how to speak English. So we were forced to learn and speak Urdu. We were sent to weekend language classes to learn to read, write and speak Urdu. We were immersed in watching dramas and Bollywood movies to learn the language and speak it. Growing up, I think knowing our language has helped us communicate with the elderly who may still struggle to learn English. And I can see this in Tita’s behaviour and the way she speaks about connecting with her ancestors through her language.
On a side note, this series includes a gay couple. He is Salma’s uncle. While I appreciate the intention of inclusive representation, some families may prefer to be aware of this element in advance. Particularly those wanting materials that align closely with their own religious perspectives. This may be something for Muslim families to consider when deciding if the book is the right fit for their children.
Other than that, I think many children will connect with the story and with Salma. They will enjoy this book, and perhaps it will inspire them to learn or continue to practice their own mother tongue if they are bilingual.
★★★★★ | 5 / 5
