Mining Our Memories with Natasha Khan Kazi
- Matthew C. Winner
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read

Natasha Khan Kazi, author illustrator of Bela and Lily (Kokila), joins Matthew to talk about bravery through being a multi-language learner.
Listen along:
About the book: Natasha Khan Kazi, author illustrator of Bela and Lily by Natasha Khan Kazi. Published by Kokila.
A heartwarming picture book about two young girls who don't speak the same language and still become fast friends, by Bangladeshi American writer and artist, Natasha Khan Kazi.
Lily looks at my eyes, lips, and shoulders
as if they are pieces of a puzzle.
Bela, who has recently arrived in the United States from Bangladesh, meets Lily on the swings. But how do you make a friend when you don’t speak the same language? Based on Natasha’s own experience as a five-year-old immigrant making her first friend, Bela and Lily is about how two kindred spirits forge a bond through smiles, giggles, and a shared love of adventure, while also learning each other’s words.
More:
Visit Natasha Khan Kazi online at natashakhankazi.com
Other helpful links:
Muslim Storytellers Fellows - The Highlights Foundation is proud to announce the cohort of storytellers selected for a two-year fellowship program in children’s literature. The fellowship will create space for more diverse and authentic Muslim narratives for children and young adults, and address common misperceptions of those narratives in the children’s publishing industry.
From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course - Explore the craft of writing and illustrating a picture book and preparing your picture book dummy for submission, with helpful feedback and support from faculty.
Transcript:
For a full transcript, episode takeaways, quotes, and more, visit https://deepcast.fm/podcast/the-childrens-book-podcast
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