Arwa Nasir, MBBS, a professor in the UNMC Department of Pediatrics and a children’s author, has expanded her children’s literature publications that specialize in the Arabic language.
Along with writing children’s books in Arabic and starting the Arabic publishing company Bulbul Books, Dr. Nasir now has started a monthly Arabic children’s magazine, also called Bulbul magazine.
Dr. Nasir said the children’s magazine is the first of its kind in North America. The Bulbul website describes it as “encouraging independent reading and exploration,” and Dr. Nasir said it is aimed at providing enriching Arabic language content in the arts and the sciences to elementary school age children.
Arablit quarterly recently published an interview with Dr. Nasir about her new Bulbul magazine.
In the interview, Dr. Nasir said magazines are a “truly magical” medium for encouraging reading and exploration. She also expanded on its connection to her background in pediatrics.
“Reading is a brain-building activity that has been proven to improve language development, social-emotional skills, and academic performance,” she said. “Research shows that reading from the page is better than reading from a screen. Literacy promotion is recommended in pediatric practice to enhance children’s brain development and improve their overall health and well-being.”
Find a link to the interview here.