Additional information
by Maryam Kia (Author), Jaclyn Sinquett (Illustrator)
The Stories You Carry: A Suitcase Full of Family, Culture, and Courage
A Suitcase Full is a heartfelt picture book about the love of family, the power of one's story, and the beauty of embracing change while leaving and finding home. When a young girl's family is forced to flee Iran, there isn't time to make a plan. With only one suitcase, Kimia is forced to leave behind many cherished possessions as well as say goodbye to her beloved grandmother, Nana-joon. As years pass, the family lives in vibrant cities like London and Paris, but are never able to stay for long. After traveling halfway around the world, they finally find a new place to call home on the island of O'ahu. When Kimia's new teacher assigns the class a special project--bringing a suitcase filled with meaningful objects--Kimia finds a way to weave her past into her present, celebrating both her roots and her growth.
Through stunning illustrations and poignant storytelling, A Suitcase Full invites readers to explore their own life stories and identities, to embrace changes as opportunities to learn and grow, and to appreciate travel and cultures around world.
With A Suitcase Full, readers can:
- Share in the joys and challenges of starting fresh in a new place
- Explore themes of resilience, belonging, and what it means to carry your story with you
- Find comfort and hope when adjusting to new homes or schools
Based on the author's childhood, A Suitcase Full encourages shared storytelling and conversations about family history, migration, language, culture, and resilience. A Leader's Guide is available for this book.
Author Biography
Maryam Kia is an award-winning psychologist and author. A Suitcase Full is her debut picture book. When she was young, her family immigrated from Iran to the island of O'ahu. Along the way, she experienced multiple countries, languages, cultures, and schools, inspiring her career as a resilience, wellness, and mindfulness expert. As an author, Maryam hopes to empower young readers to see the wonder and magic in their own suitcases and to appreciate the treasures others carry. Maryam lives in Southern California, where she and her kids are always on the lookout for shooting stars, rainbows, and waterfalls.
Jaclyn Sinquett grew up playing in her dad's garden, feeding worms to box turtles, and tossing French fries to seagulls at the Jersey shore. She received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts and now illustrates books for children. In addition to A Suitcase Full, some of her works include How to Get Your Octopus to School, Loud Mouse, and I Love Strawberries! She's also created thousands of greeting cards and enjoys incorporating hand lettering into every project she can. Most of all, Jaclyn loves helping people connect with each other and themselves through her art. Her favorite color is yellow ochre, and she lives in Brick, NJ, where she spends her time avoiding sunburn at the beach with her husband and daughter, chasing her cat off the kitchen table, and listening to her parrot impersonate an alarm clock.
