The sweet story of two friends’ journey to find joy, written in a specially designed font to improve readability for people with dyslexia
Luqoom—a boutique publishing house known for its beautiful picture books—is delighted to announce the launch of its latest title, The Little Boy Who Lost His Joy, written by Luqoom founder Racha Mourtada and illustrated by Dania K.
The story opens in somber black and white, with Squirrel feeling gloomy about forgetting where he buried his beloved acorns. His frantic search leads him not to nuts, but to a Little Boy who has lost something just as precious: his joy. Together, this unlikely pair journey through the forest, discovering joy (and acorns) in unexpected places as the illustrations gradually bloom into a vibrant tapestry of color.
The book was inspired by two ideas that unexpectedly intertwined: a curious fact about squirrels that stuck with the author for years, and the image of a sweet, bowtie-clad boy who seemed a little down.
“I’ve wanted to write about a squirrel who forgets where he buried his acorns for years—it turns out it’s more common than people think!” says Mourtada. “The twist is that this forgetfulness actually helps plant oak trees. It felt like a lovely analogy for how something joyful can sometimes grow from mistakes.”
But Squirrel’s story truly came together with the arrival of Little Boy. “Polite, proper, and a little bit sad,” Mourtada explains, “Little Boy represents so many of us over the past year, especially in Lebanon, who have been through difficult times and felt our joy quietly fade. But with his acorn-obsessed new friend, he learns that joy is never gone for long. It’s all around, if you just know where to look. That’s the message I hope will reassure little readers and inspire them to seek joy in the everyday.”
In a first for the publishing house, The Little Boy Who Lost His Joy also features a new typeface: Dyslexie, a font designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia. Luqoom hopes this will be a step toward making its books more accessible to all children. (The font is available at dyslexie.com.).
Luqoom will launch The Little Boy Who Lost His Joy at Salon Beyrouth in Hamra on Saturday, May 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The author will be signing books and doing a reading, and A Paper Poem will host a children’s workshop on sculpting paper acorns—the perfect vessel for storing joy. Guests can also enjoy specially crafted treats sprinkled with joy and a touch of nutty merriment.
The book will be available in Beirut bookstores in mid-May, with distribution in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to follow. It is already spreading joy internationally, having been acquired by a Korean publishing house.
About Luqoom
Founded by Racha Mourtada in 2018, Luqoom is a boutique publisher of pretty picture books in Arabic and English, based in Beirut. Luqoom believes books are treats to be savoured. They should be held, pored over, snuggled with, and shared.
At Luqoom, the combination of spare prose and beautiful imagery can create something magical. They strive to make luscious books that are captivating and visually rich, inviting kids (and the young at heart) into a world where they can let their curiosity and imagination run free.
Luqoom is particularly partial to science, silliness, and good storytelling.
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