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Last year a friend of ours lent us a book different from any graphic novel we had seen before: Habibi by Craig Thompson. We were amazed to find out this illustrated book was created by someone from the United States given the intricate understanding of the Arabic language weaved into the deep, thought-out storyline of a young Arab girl and her lifelong companion.
This book truly made us wish we were Arabic speakers as there seem to be many hidden meanings but nonetheless it was worth the read and can be highly recommended for any visual storyteller.
Using the way the letters are put together in Arabic script and hinting at Quranic sayings, these 672 pages tell a poetic (often quite dark) story on human emotions that you definitely won't forget easily. But the most breathtaking part of it all are the endlessly intricate visuals that hint at the coming and going of life in general, of water in the ocean, of sand in the desert.
To find out more about the story and read some more critical input check out this review from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/sep/16/habibi-craig-thompson-review