Common Threads: Adam's Day at the Market

2020-2021 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award List.

Adam and his family spend an exciting day at the colorful and bustling Eastern Market. But when Adam gets briefly separated from Mom and Dad, he mistakes a friendly, diverse cast of characters for his parents in their traditional Muslim clothing—and shows that we all have more in common than you might think. This nearly-wordless picture book celebrates diversity and community in vibrant, dynamic art.

Huda Essa has been a teacher since she was a child. Her first students were her stuffed animals. When she became a teacher as a grown up, she loved finally having human children as her students! Now, as a speaker and author, Huda is a teacher to adult humans, too. Huda’s debut book, Teach Us Your Name, and her TEDx Talk, “Your Name is the Key!” teach us to use our names to learn more about ourselves and to embrace our wonderful human diversity. Huda teaches all over the world, but lives in Michigan. You can visit her online at culturelinksllc.com or @culturelinksllc on Instagram and Twitter.

Mercè was in Barcelona, Spain, where she still lives. As a young child, she spent a lot of time drawing and painting with her grandfather, her first art teacher. She graduated from the University of Barcelona with a Fine Arts degree and continued her studies to specialize in illustration. Today, Mercè enjoys working as a freelance illustrator. When not illustrating, she likes to spend her time in nature with friends and dancing to swing and folk music.