Sugar Comes from Arabic: A Beginner's Guide to Arabic Letters and Words

How to easily learn the Arabic alphabet! Sugar Comes from Arabic A Beginner's Guide to Arabic Letters and Words Barbara Whitesides ISBN 978-1-56656-757-2 When I lived in Dubai for eight years I often tried to learn Arabic. I probably hindered myself from memorizing the alphabet, thinking "This alphabet has 124 letter shapes to remember. Woe is me! I've never been good at memorizing." Then I discovered information about Sugar Comes from Arabic from the Saudi-Aramco magazine. Hope re-ignited! Maybe I could master Arabic letters! This book's logic, memory aides, personal approach (first step-- write names easily), cultural additions, word source explanations, delightful lay-out--the entire book impresses me. The ring bound pages lay open easily, the large page size makes full but uncluttered pages readable, the pictures are colorful...I can't find anything I'd suggest as lacking in this book. Each page with a new letter has the entire alphabet along one edge for easy reference. Back pages have the entire Arabic alphabet and numbers. The method used to remember each letter and how it fits in words--so clear and simple! I'm happily working on learning Arabic! And making great progress. Thank you, Barbara Whitesides and crew! © Geni J. White

This is a simple and fun book that introduces the user to the Arabic letters. Very imaginative. I would have liked even more practice pages, but I know they would add to the book's cost. I highly recommend this guide to anyone who would like to familiarize herself with the alphabet (alifbaa) and learn to read and write a few words, perhaps including her first name. Interesting tidbits about Arabic culture are sprinkled throughout, like sugar. Perhaps some readers will progress to a serious study of the language.

There are so many delightful details to this book, not only in the playful and timely prose, but in the fonts and drawings and photos as well. I love the way the book is bound -- it lays flat, and was clearly made to last. Unlike the majority of informative books published these days, which all seem to be variations on "XXXX for Idiots", it's wonderful to find a book that was created by someone actually devoted to the subject matter. I've only just received the book and skipped around in it, but I can already tell that the author's thoughtfulness will yield many months and years of interesting reading at our house. And make that BACKWARD reading!

Really this book is wonderful for adult beginners, people old enough to have trouble retaining information. The random facts, random words that stand out and make memorization possible are pretty great. So far I feel much more confident about my ability to grasp the sounds of the words based on the examples shown. I would suggest this for any beginner of course but this is a wonderful find for an older beginner. The only drawback is the alphabet is featured in a way that English readers can understand not in the intended order, other than that it is a winner. Shukran!

Indeed, as another reviewer pointed out, you find yourself learning letters and words without even meaning to; it's sort of titrated to a pleasing rate of absorption. How difficult would it be, for the price, to include a CD that has alphabet songs? After the first two letters, Arabic diverges from the little song we have that accommodates Roman and even Cyrillic alphabets. From the internet, I find that there are indeed songs for children for the Arabic alphabet, and I'd like to know one as a tarting point, actually. Maybe someone could pick the best and at least include a link to the net, or include the musical notation for it in the book. I'm curious about the sequence, the history of that.

I love this book! The nore I use it the happier I am. I wish there was a whole series!!! Really simple to understand and fun.

Excellent book to have. Many apps and lessons assume that you know the alphabet and if you don't... then they won't be of use for you. This book starts you off like you are a true beginner. It is thorough and complete in that it is the very beginning. I gives you that starting point so that you can make better use of more advanced materials for learning more. This book is the best one that I have found so far!

I love this book. Very simple to learn letters and easy to read layout. I let my students use it, and they found it easy to read, too.

This is a beautiful and wonderful book for people of nearly all ages. I cannot possibly recommend it more highly. evie f

It was good book.