Yalla! Is an Arabic Middle-Grade Graphic Novel From Oni Press for English Readers About Immigrating, Learning a New Language…and Fighting Monsters?!
Join the Magical, Heartful Adventure Next Summer from Debut Writer Ameen D.B., Illustrator Ismael Hernández, and Oni Press!
PORTLAND, OR (JUNE 29, 2026) AHLAN WA SAHLAN! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, is proud to announce Yalla!, a middle-grade Arabic graphic novel for English readers, full of adventure, magic, and heartfelt stories of compassion and overcoming adversity from debut writer Ameen D.B. and illustrator Ismael Hernández (Armored). Telling bold stories about immigration, racism, environmentalism, and corruption, Yalla! puts readers in an immigrant’s shoes to teach literacy and empathy in unique ways—in stores July 2027!
“Ahlan wa sahlan and welcome everyone to the magical world of Yalla!—a graphic novel for early readers that teaches literacy and empathy in new ways,” said writer Ameen D.B. “Across four stories, we experience a strange new world like an immigrant, like ten-year-old Pada . . . all without the help of any subtitles! But don’t be scared—through context clues, we arrive at understanding alongside Pada and her gang of friends. So strap on your boots, tighten your swimsuits, and come with Pada as we explore her new home together. Yalla!”
Welcome to Yalla!, the story of Pada, who recently immigrated to a strange new place with her parents and little brother. Join Pada on her epic adventures, all while learning a new language, making friends, and fighting . . . monsters?! Pada feels out of place in her unfamiliar home, surrounded by people and places she doesn’t understand. She tries to make the best of her new home but trials await at every turn. When she encounters a monstrous bird, a hungry troll, a no-face fisherman, and (most fearsome of all) a three-hundred-foot mythical lizard monster, Pada will have to do everything she can to protect those around her and make it home safely. Told in four parts, Yalla! is an Arabic graphic novel for English readers. While the book is not in English—fear not! By joining along with Pada, readers will encounter a new place and language, all while learning a new Arabic word or phrase in each chapter.
“Yalla! is a love letter for childhood inside us, despite living in a harsh adult world,” said artist Ismael Hernández. “And it’s also about hope for the power of kind words . . . even if you don’t understand them at first!”
“Ameen and Ismael’s story of compassion, adventure, and literacy is the story we all need,” said editor Grace Scheipeter. “Perfect for all readers—reluctant, advanced, and ESL readers—join Pada and friends in a book that is equal parts adventurous, empathetic, and educational…all while learning a little bit of a new language along the way!”
Make new friends, battle epic monsters, and learn new lingo when Yalla! bounds into stores on June 9, 2027!
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Yalla!
Writer: Ameen D.b.
Artist: Ismael Hernández
Cover: Ismael Hernández
On Sale: 6/9/2027
$16.99 | 288 pgs. | FC
About the creators
Ameen D.B. is a professional writer and educator, a semiprofessional napper, and an amateur pirate. He has taught and learned from children all around the world in places like Liberia, Taiwan, and most recently Lebanon. If you ever need to find him, just go to your nearest surf break and look for the guy getting pummeled by the waves. Yalla! is his debut book.
Ismael Hernández is a family man. When he is not cleaning his house or playing with his child or enjoying the company of his wife, he plays with old fashioned steel maces and old fashioned inks, watercolors and papers. Ismael has painted several comics and graphic novels since 2009. Some of his titles are Habibti Pada, Armored, and The Wolf and the Crow.
