When Hazel was young, we did a lot of exploring the world and different cultures from home. We participated in blog group series like Around the World in 12 Dishes and Global Learning for Kids as well as the various cultural heritage months series with Multicultural Kid Blogs. But one of Hazel's favorite things to do was read a collection of folk tales and fables from other countries. She would have loved today's book when she was younger. The book is Children's Favorite Arabic Stories: Fables and Folk Tales from Across the Arabic Speaking World by Jehanne Moharran and illustrated by Chaymaa Sobhy. It is recommended for ages 5 to 13 and it is part of the Children's Favorite Stories series.
About the Book:
A treasury of beloved tales capturing the rich diversity of the Arabic-speaking world!A young woman outsmarts Ali Baba's forty thieves. Wise jinnis and magical animals guide people down the proper path. Nine traditional tales are brought to life by author Jehanne Moharram and the delightful illustrations of artist Chaymaa Sobhy.
The stories reflect the rich culture and traditions of a diverse region and offer windows onto many wondrous worlds. These include:
- Morgana Saves the Day (Syria): Ali Baba's niece outsmarts the forty thieves, proving along the way that loyalty and bravery can pay richer rewards than jealousy and greed
- The Little Red Fish and the Golden Slipper (Iraq): Kindness is the key message in this Cinderella tale—where a fish's friendship outlasts and overpowers a stepmother's wicked ways
- Goha and the Price of Steam (Egypt): A wise fool offers valuable lessons on humility, perseverance and how to prepare the perfect meal.
- The Fisherman and the Jinni (Yemen): A jinni teaches an angler the importance of clear thinking
- And many more!
From Me:
This is a fun collection of stories. It has some familiar ones like Morganna Saves the Day, which is a version of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves with a heroine, and The Little Red Fish and the Golden Slipper, which is an Iraqi Cinderella tale similar to The Golden Sandal and The Wise Hoopoe shares a story of King Solomon (from the Bible), and some of the other Asian versions of Cinderella stories that involve a fish. Other stories were new to me. One thing I noticed is how there is a female main character in several of them which I was happy to see.
As with most fables and folk tales there are messages or morals. The majority of them are about kindness and caring for others. There is a total of nine stories, and each story is labeled with the country from which it comes. Each story also introduces various parts of Arabic cultures. In The Little Red Fish and the Golden Slipper, the females are preparing for a wedding by gathering for henna. In The Jar of Olives and Morganna Saves the Day, the reader sees the importance of olives and oil.
Each of the stories are illustrated and most are a few pages long. This book is perfect for a short story at bedtime or in a class when a teacher needs to fill a few minutes. It is also a wonderful introduction to Arabic cultures. It would be great to talk about where Arabic is spoken and what other countries should be included. It is also just a fun book full of stories that kids will enjoy.
