A fun, warm, and friendly tale that’s sure to delight and inspire youngsters to learn more about the Arab world.
A debut illustrated children’s book focuses on two siblings’ magical adventures in Syria.
Laila wants nothing more than to be a great explorer like her grandfather Ibn Battuta. Her little brother, Ahmed, is more of a homebody who gets nervous any time he has to go anywhere. One day when their mother is out, Laila decides that she is going to hunt for her grandfather’s travel journal, which he called Rihla. With Ahmed’s help, she finds the journal and discovers a poetic clue, urging the two children to embark on a journey. Slowly, the book begins to grow in size, revealing itself as a magic portal. Laila and Ahmed follow their grandfather’s clues through Syria, where they travel on camelback to a castle built by the Crusaders, a market in Aleppo, an ancient water wheel, the oasis of Palmyra, the Church of St. Sergius, and finally to the country’s capital city of Damascus. As they move from place to place, they are greeted by old friends of their grandfather’s and treated to the many enchanting sights, sounds, and tastes of Syria. Even timid Ahmed comes out of his shell, eager to unearth each clue on the route their clever grandfather laid out for them. The lively book features rich, colorful paintings by debut illustrator Kassem depicting the two children as they trek from one vivid locale to the next. Alloo’s sweet story will instill in young readers a sense of wonder and appreciation for the history and grandeur of Syria. Though there are many images, the narrative is wordy and would be best read with a parent or guardian who can help guide a curious child. While there is no in-depth history provided, there are enough insights into Syria’s past to pique readers’ interest and encourage further research. This work would be a superb supplement to history lessons covering the Middle East
A fun, warm, and friendly tale that’s sure to delight and inspire youngsters to learn more about the Arab world.Pub Date: July 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-692-11094-2
Page Count: 60
Publisher: Beauty Beneath the Rubble
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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