Although he wants to please his father and earn money selling carpets, Aziz finds himself drawn to the storytellers in the marketplace, including one who has a special gift meant just for him.
Aziz the Storyteller
Picture Book
Who Said What?
Four little girls were playing in the sand. They were also talking. Find out how simple conversation can turn into juicy gossip. In the end, everyone gets so puzzled and confused, no one remembers who said what.
The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
This book relates the history of the gods and goddesses worshipped by the ancient Egyptians and describes how they were depicted.
Joha Makes a Wish: A Middle Eastern Tale
Joha finds a magic stick and learns that you don’t always get what you wish for.
Rimonah of the Flashing Sword
Goodness and bravery are rewarded in this version of Snow White.
Sindbad’s Secret
Sindbad the Sailor has escaped death many times and is planning to live the rest of his life on dry land. But the sea beckons, and he sets out for one final adventure. As he sails from a beautiful far-off land where people drink scented tea, a storm destroys the ship. Sindbad finds refuge on an island, but it holds little safety for him. Ivory traders make him their slave. It seems that he will live out his days in servitude. But the power of love, and his compassion for a baby elephant, give him the strength he needs for survival. His voyage offers him the answer to life’s greatest secret, and finally he can rest.
Sitti’s Secrets
A young girl describes a visit to see her grandmother in a Palestinian village on the West Bank.
Azad’s Camel
In a big Arabian city, an orphan boy is forced to work as a camel jockey — a dangerous job he doesn’t like. But a new friendship and a magical escape into the desert are about to change his life.
Camel racing is a popular sport in the Gulf states of the Middle East, where child jockeys from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mauritania, and Eritrea are used to ride the camels. Some impoverished families are persuaded to sell sons as young as five years old, who are taken away to be trained and often badly treated. Accidents are common, and when a little jockey falls off a racing camel, he can receive serious injuries. Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have all banned the use of child jockeys and are returning children to their families so that they can go to school and live a normal life.
The Revenge of Ishtar
In this second volume in the Gilgamesh trilogy, Enkidu joins Gilgamesh in the quest to slay Humbaba, the monster who has attacked the city and caused great destruction, including the death of the beautiful singer, Shamat. Gilgamesh and Enkidu successfully slay the monster and in so doing, Gilgamesh attracts the attention of the goddess Ishtar. In rejecting her advances, he incurs her revenge and an attack by the Bull of Heaven. Enkidu manages to kill the bull, but is slain by Ishtar, striking at the bond between the two friends. Shattered, Gilgamesh vows he will destroy the last monster.
The Peacock’s Pride
A retelling of a traditional tale from northern India in which a conceited peacock learns that beauty has many forms.