New children’s book brings Petra’s heritage to life for young readers

PETRA — Sela for Training and Protection of Heritage on Tuesday launched the sixth book in a children’s series, "Discover Jordan with Karam" at The Petra Museum. 

The author of the series, Rasha Dababneh, who works as an assistant programme developer at The Children'sMuseum in Amman, attended the event and signed copies of the book to the Petra schoolchildren who came with their teachers. 

The book highlights the story of Karam. After his adventures at the Citadel of Amman and in WadiFaynan, Karam and his friends decided to explore Petra's rich cultural heritage and monuments of the ancient Nabataeans.

The main motive behind the book series is to encourage school-aged children to love history, archaeology and cultural heritage, and to train the new generation to protect archaeological sites from looting and vandalism.

The book series is designed for children aged six and eight, who follow adventures of Karam and hisgrandmother, Naama, an archaeologist, as they tourJordan’s archaeological sites. 

Through combination of storytelling and vivid illustrations, the books inspire children to connect with their history while fostering a deeper appreciation for archaeology.

According to Dababneh, the creative process behind each book is deeply rooted in community involvement. Prior to publication, the author conducts reading sessions with children in the communities where thestories are set, gathering feedback and ideas to enrich the narrative.

"To reach the final version, many talks with the local community are conducted," Dababneh said.

The book is distributed and marketed by Entimaa’, a social enterprise dedicated to heritage preservation, and 33 per cent of the net profit from book sales will be reinvested into the protection and conservation of the featured archaeological sites.

Sela for Training and Protection of Heritage is committed to raising awareness about Jordan’s cultural legacy and engaging local communities in its preservation, the organisers said, adding that through initiatives like this book series, Sela and Entimaa’ aim to inspire the next generation to take an active role inprotecting Jordan’s cultural heritage.