Little Stories, Big Discoveries: Our National Year of Reading 2026 Picks
, by Leila’s Books, 2 min reading time
Celebrate the National Year of Reading 2026 with Arabic and bilingual reading picks for little listeners, picture-book lovers and first chapter readers.
Reading doesn’t have to begin with a child sounding out their first word. It can start with a baby reaching for a colourful page, a toddler joining in with a familiar rhyme, or a parent telling a story in the language that feels most like home.
For the National Year of Reading 2026, we’ve brought together a special selection at Leila’s Books to celebrate those everyday moments. Our National Year of Reading picks collection includes books for toddlers, picture-book explorers and children taking their first steps into longer stories.
It’s an invitation to find a book, get comfortable and enjoy a story together.
Stories that make room for your family’s languages
For families sharing Arabic and English at home, story time can be a lovely space for both languages.
You might read aloud in Arabic, talk about the pictures in English, or let your child lead the conversation between the two. There’s no need to turn every page into a lesson. Sometimes the best part is a funny voice, a favourite illustration or the request to read it “just one more time”.
Our selection brings together Arabic books and Arabic–English reading options, giving families different ways to enjoy stories and connect with language.
From first pages to first chapters
For the youngest readers, we’ve included picks such as the BattaBooks Arabic–English Nursery Rhymes Sound Book, the Adam & Mishmish Let’s Go set and توتة تطير (Tota Tateer). These are places to start exploring books together, whether your child wants to listen, point or join in.
For picture-book time, discover titles including أنا والصّابونة, رغيف الخبز and ربّما. Choose a story to share, pause to look at the pictures and see where your child’s curiosity takes you.
And for children ready to explore longer stories, our First Chapter picks include Zayzafoona / زيزفونة, Mama My Classmate / ماما بنت صفي and I Am Fatima / أنا فاطمة. Independent reading can be a new adventure, but reading together doesn’t have to stop when children start reading for themselves.
Make a little room for reading
Celebrating reading needn’t mean setting ambitious targets or finishing a book every night. Try keeping a favourite book within reach, letting your child choose the story or sharing a few pages whenever you have a quiet moment.
Some days you’ll finish the whole book. Other days you’ll spend ten minutes talking about one picture. Both can be part of your family’s reading life.
Find your next shared story
Whether you’re choosing a first book, refreshing the bedtime pile or looking for an Arabic story to enjoy together, we hope this collection helps you discover a new favourite.
Explore our National Year of Reading picks
For more about the wider celebration, visit BookTrust’s National Year of Reading page.
Happy reading,
Leila’s Books