Lana Makes Purple Pizza: A Palestinian Food Tale

Since I reviewed Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine, which was published in 2020 and was on the recommend list for that year’s Palestine Book Awards (PBA), there has been a steady and growing surge in children’s literature centred around Palestinian themes. One recent addition shortlisted for this years’ awards, is Lana Makes Purple Pizza: A Palestinian Food Tale by Palestinian-American educator and activist Amanda Najib.

This vibrant and engaging story, with illustrations by Loren Bassey, welcomes readers into a Palestinian family’s kitchen, where Lana, the young protagonist, takes part in her family’s culinary traditions by preparing Msakhan, “Palestine’s national dish” which has previously featured on MEMO’s You’ve Been Served series. Lana, however, calls it “purple pizza,” owing to the colour brought about by the use of sumac as one of the key ingredients.

As with many indigenous cultures, food is an integral part of Palestinian culture, and this book explores how it connects to family and identity. The story not only illustrates the importance of cooking together as a way to strengthen family bonds, it also touches on the political side, as we read of the importance in “preserving their family’s culture and recipes in the face of efforts to erase their Palestinian identity.”

This book is on the shortlist for the Palestine Book Awards 2024, please click here to read the full review on the Palestine Book Awards site.