Hi can travel anywhere β if he can unlock his magic portal with the local greeting. But what if he says it wrong and the portal won't open? Join Hi on a joyful story about friendship, bravery, and the magic that happens when we open our hearts to the world β one hello at a time.
Authentic Egyptian customs, food, and language woven through every page.
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Arabic Introduction
QR-linked audio brings authentic pronunciation to life for every reader.
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Social-Emotional Learning
Hi's journey teaches courage, empathy, and the joy of connecting.
The Story
One Word. One World.
Hi is the cheerful embodiment of the greeting "hi" β and he can travel anywhere if he can unlock his magic portal with the local greeting.
On World Hello Day, he's determined to make a new friend in Egypt. But he's nervous he'll mispronounce the Arabic greeting⦠and the portal won't open. What happens next will surprise him.
Every Arabic phrase in the book is brought to life through an embedded QR code. Scan and instantly hear authentic pronunciation β so every reader can learn to say the phrases with confidence.
Perfect for classroom use and home reading alike. No Arabic expertise required.
Ω Ψ±ΨΨ¨Ψ§Marhaba β hello
Ψ³ΩΩSouk β marketplace
Ψ΄ΩΨ±Ψ§ΩShukran β thank you
Ω Ω ΩΨΆΩΩΩMin fadlak β please (to a male)
Ω Ω ΩΨΆΩΩΩMin fadlik β please (to a female)
"A fun, magical first step into Arabic for young children."
Rosie Greening
Bestselling children's author
"The use of greetings for characters' names throughout the book is a great idea. The pronunciation guide also makes for an excellent addition."
Christie
Children's author
"The author definitely needs to write more books which transport Hi to other countries to learn other greetings and spread acceptance and friendship!"
LoveReading4Kids β Indie Books We Love
Global Reach
Available Worldwide
Within days of launch, Hi's Culture Quests: Egypt is available across major bookstores worldwide β from the US to Japan, Australia to Switzerland.
The Series
Egypt is Just the Beginning
Hi's Culture Quests is a series taking young readers to a new country with every book β building a generation of curious, confident global citizens.
Egypt
Available Now
France
Coming Soon
Japan
Coming Soon
Moreβ¦
Coming Soon
School Visits
Bring the Quest to Your School
Ali offers interactive school visits across the UK β where children meet Hi, practise Arabic greetings, and receive their name written in Arabic in their own copy of the book.
Interactive Arabic greeting sessions
Each child's name written in Arabic in their own copy
Download the free colouring sheet, complete your quest, and share your artwork with us. The best creations appear in our growing gallery of Little Questers from around the world.
Enter your email and we'll send it straight to your inbox β plus be first to hear about new Culture Quests Publishing books.
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About the Author
Ali is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Arabic Subject Manager and a former language teacher, fluent in English, Arabic, and French, with an MA in International Education. He created Hi's Culture Quests because he believes every child deserves to see the world beyond their postcode β and that language is the most powerful passport there is.
Born from a passion for authentic cultural representation, this series sits at the intersection of great storytelling and meaningful education.
Credentials
Expertise You Can Trust
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MA International Education
Postgraduate expertise in global educational frameworks and multilingual learning environments.
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IB Arabic Subject Manager
Leading Arabic Language Acquisition and Language & Literature within the IB MYP and DP across schools worldwide.
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Trilingual: EN Β· AR Β· FR
Native-level fluency in English, Arabic, and French β ensuring authentic cultural and linguistic representation.
Mission
Language isn't about being perfect β it's about being brave enough to connect.
The Story Behind the Story
Why Hi?
The idea for Hi came from years of watching children shrink away from language learning because they feared making mistakes. As an educator, Ali saw that the biggest barrier wasn't ability β it was confidence.
By personifying the greeting itself as a character, Hi becomes a guide rather than a lesson. Children don't feel taught β they feel they're on an adventure. And that changes everything.
The Egypt book draws on Ali's deep personal and professional connection to the Arab world, ensuring every detail β from the food on Hi's plate to the specific Arabic phrases he learns β reflects genuine cultural experience rather than superficial tourism.
Books
Hi's Culture Quests
A series where every adventure introduces young readers to a new language, culture, and the courage to connect.
Book 1
Hi's Culture Quests: Egypt
π Ages 4β8π 32 Pagesπ 8.5" Squareπ§ Audio QR Code
Hi can travel anywhere β if he can unlock his magic portal with the local greeting. On World Hello Day, he's determined to make a new friend in Egypt. But he's nervous he'll say the greeting wrongβ¦ and the portal won't open!
Join Hi on this joyful story about friendship, bravery, and the magic that happens when we open our hearts to the world β one hello at a time.
A detailed mapping of Hi's Culture Quests: Egypt to the IB Primary Years Programme β ready to share with your PYP coordinator or drop into a unit of inquiry.
Transdisciplinary theme connections
Learner profile and ATL skills links
Subject area connections across Language, Social Studies, PSHE and Arts
Lesson starter, success criteria and assessment rubric
Every quest starts with a greeting. Download the free colouring sheet, complete your adventure, and join our growing community of Little Questers from around the world.
Your Free Colouring Sheet
Help Hi Find His Next Quest
Hi is standing by his magic portal, ready for his next adventure β but where will it take him? Colour him in and help him on his way!
1Download and print the free colouring sheet
2Colour in Hi and the portal β draw your destination inside it!
3Fill in your quest destination and your greeting
4Take a photo of your colouring sheet and email it to us with the childβs first name and city or country.
By submitting, you confirm you have parental permission to share this image on our website. To keep our questers safe, we only publish first names and locations β please ensure no faces are visible in your photo.
Get in Touch
Let's Connect
Whether you're booking a school visit, ordering in bulk, or just want to say Ω Ψ±ΨΨ¨Ψ§Ω β we'd love to hear from you.
Send a Message
We typically respond within 1β2 working days.
Other Ways to Reach Us
π« School Visits
Ali visits schools across the UK for interactive sessions. Children practise Arabic greetings and receive their name written in Arabic in their own copy of the book.
Booking lead time: 4β6 weeks recommended.
π¦ Bulk Orders
Discounts available for orders of 10+ copies. Ideal for school libraries and book fairs.
Culture Quests Publishing is an independent children's book publisher based in Bristol, UK. This website is operated by Ali Bougatef. You can contact us at admin@culturequestspublishing.com.
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