Trains and Trainers - Sarah Musa Qassem

Trains &

Malik’s brother is autistic. They have great times together but sometimes they clash. When Malik fights with Badr over the TV, and then Mama doesn’t let him buy the train set he desperately wants, Malik starts to feel that life with Badr gets too hard. But Badr finds something to cheer Malik up, a train made with something Malik never expected!

Story by Sarah Musa Illustrations by Rania Hasan

Sometimes fun just needs a bit of imagination!

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ISBN 978-0-86037-903-4 | US$ 10.95 978-0-86037-903-4 ISBN 978-0-86037-903-4 551095 1095

9 780860 379034

Trainers

“For my brother, Abdur Rahman, who built a shoe train at twilight and it was etched into my memory.”

Trains & Trainers Story by Sarah Musa Illustrations by Rania Hasan

I tiptoe into the lounge and switch on the television. Loud music floods the house. I quickly lower the volume to a murmur, looking over my shoulder to see if my brother Badr noticed. He’s busy spinning in circles in the next room.

Badr is two years older than me and he isn’t good at sharing the television. He has autism and he can’t speak, but he does understand most of what Mama and I say. He usually plays by himself in his own way.

The cartoon is starting! There’s a battle between the hero, Zymbot, and a Fungulga alien. I lean in, glued to the screen. How will Zymbot survive? It’s the worst time to interrupt me, but Badr is too excited. He rushes in front of me and puts both hands on the screen.