Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name!

By Yasmin Hanif

To celebrate Eid, Abdullah’s parents give him a cuddly teddy bear. The bear used to belong to Abdullah’s dad, his abba, and it has a name, but Abba won’t say what it is!

Abdullah and his new bear become inseparable, but he can’t guess what its name is. His siblings, friends and classmates all have suggestions — Bertie, Katie, Olivia, Edward — but none of them feels right. Then one night, when Abba tells a story from long ago in Pakistan, Abdullah remembers his family’s traditions and has an idea. What if the bear has a name like his name?

In this sweet but powerful story, children will learn to value their cultural heritage and about the special bonds between family generations.

Yasmin Hanif wrote Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name! after working with schoolchildren on a project to tackle the lack of diversity in children’s books. The story was inspired by the real-life experience of children from South Asian backgrounds defaulting to traditionally European names for a teddy bear. Sophie Benmouyal’s bold and fun illustrations are full of character, texture and authentic details.

Reviews of Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name!

'A brilliant debut picture book from Glasgow talent Yasmin Hanif. A sweet and important book about recognising that it's okay and good to use names from your own culture.'– Maisie Chan, author of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths

'A beautiful and necessary book. It is wonderful when Scottish children from all cultural backgrounds see themselves reflected in stories…This gorgeous picture book is an encouraging step on that journey.'– Kids' Literature Scotland