Around the world, children are facing the unimaginable, war, displacement, and crisis. But in the middle of loss, something powerful often endures: resilience.
That’s the heart of NABU’s Resilience Collection, a growing library of stories designed to help children find strength, hope, and healing, especially those living through crisis. Whether displaced by war, forced from home, or simply navigating a difficult chapter, every child deserves to see themselves in a story that reminds them: they are not alone.
Why Stories Matter in Times of Crisis
For children impacted by displacement or trauma, literacy isn’t just a learning tool, it’s a source of emotional safety. A familiar story, read in a familiar language, can offer the comfort of routine, restore confidence, and build a bridge back to hope.
That’s why NABU’s Resilience Collection goes beyond traditional books. Each story is crafted with care, cultural relevance, and emotional honesty, centered on healing, courage, and identity.
What’s Inside the Collection
The Resilience Collection began with Zaya’s Dream, a story of hope created in partnership with Education Cannot Wait and it’s only the beginning. This living library is designed to amplify the voices of displaced children, with new titles inspired by refugee journeys from Syria, Ukraine, and beyond already in development.
More Stories of Strength and Hope
We’ve recently added a powerful lineup of new titles to our Resilience Collection, each one offering hope, healing, and courage for children navigating difficult circumstances:
- The Book Nook: A gentle story about a quiet boy who finds comfort, courage, and friendship in the corner of a library during uncertain times.
- The Empty Notebook: When a young refugee loses her precious notebook during a chaotic journey, she learns that stories can still be found and shared even when the pages are gone.
- Salma’s Journey: Salma and her family are forced to leave their home, but through art, memory, and a treasured keepsake, she holds on to hope for a brighter future.
- The Jasmine Princess: In a war-torn land, a young girl imagines herself as a brave princess who brings peace to her people, reminding readers of the power of storytelling and inner strength.
- The Song of the Olive Tree: A lyrical tale about loss, heritage, and resilience as a girl and her grandmother cling to a shared song and the last olive tree in their village.
- The Treasure: A brother and sister discover an unexpected gift while fleeing conflict showing that family, kindness, and hope are the most precious treasures of all.
These stories reflect the lived experiences of displaced and vulnerable children, helping young readers feel seen and empowered.
What’s Missing: Help Us Complete the Collection
To bring the Resilience Collection to life, we still need critical support from translation and illustration to distribution and field testing. Some stories are written but not yet illustrated, others are awaiting mother-tongue translations to reach the children who need them most. Without partners and funding, these important stories remain drafts, not lifelines. By joining us now, you can help accelerate production and ensure that children facing trauma don’t have to wait another day to feel seen, heard, and supported.
We are Just Getting Started
The Resilience Collection is still in development and we need your help to bring these stories to children faster. Together, we can ensure that no child has to face their fears alone and that every child, no matter their circumstance, has access to a story that reflects their strength.
Want to help us reach more children?
- 📖 Read Zaya’s Dream now and explore our digital library
- 💌 Donate to support development of future Resilience stories
- 🤝 Partner with us to co-create or distribute these vital books, contact us via info@nabu.org
Because Every Child Deserves to Be Seen. These aren’t just books, they’re lifelines. Windows into healing. Mirrors of identity. Sparks of hope.
Help us write the next chapter for children who need it most.
Donate
Your donation makes a difference. Join us in our mission to ensure every child has equal access to literacy and learning resources.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT
NABU is free for children, families, and teachers, thanks to our generous donors. Your donation can make a big difference:
- $25 monthly subscription for one child: Provide access to the NABU app and hundreds of bilingual books for a child and their family
- $45 monthly subscription for one classroom: Gift NABU to a teacher for use in their classrooms to support student learning
- $1,500 to publish a children's book: Support our professional development initiatives, training local artists to create culturally relevant stories for children in their communities, with translations into 25 languages
- $5,000 to sponsor a country-wide children's radio program:Expand our impact through storytelling radio programs across an entire country