Room for Everyone

A young boy on a crowded bus discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there’s room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book set in Zanzibar.

The dala dala rumbles and roars as Musa and Dada drive off to the shore—but the bus stops for multiple detours: “Do you need a ride? It’s hotter than peppers out there in the sun! Come in, there’s room for everyone!”

One stop becomes two stops which soon becomes ten, and Musa wonders when it will end: “How can any more people get in? We’re already smushed like sardines in a tin!” But there's always room for one more, if you make the room, which is the heartwarming take-away from this bouncy, joyous tale in rhyme.

Naaz Khan is a writer and educator with a diploma in refugee studies from the American University in Cairo, and a master of arts in international education from Columbia University. She draws inspiration from her experiences living in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kenya, and India, where she was born. She currently lives in Washington, DC, where she makes room for hiking, biking, interfaith gatherings, and playing her ukulele.

Mercè López has a degree in illustration at Llotja Art School in Barcelona. She has illustrated many projects for different markets from design, editorial, cinema, and theatre to publishing with Spanish and international book publishers. She recently moved to Mallorca, Spain, for a new adventure.