The Illustrator's Notebook by Egyptian author Mohieddin Ellabbad is a book with many levels of meaning. It is an account of an artist's creative sources and of how he grew up to be a famous illustrator. It is an appeal to children to see the world and find inspiration in the most ordinary visual sources. It is a testament to the value of diversity, exemplified by the fact that while some people read from let to right, others read the opposite way, which affects how they see and even dream. It is an introduction to Egypt and its extraordinary visual world and, finally, it is a demonstration of the beauty of written Arabic. After reading the book, children will make their own small notebooks.