Clever Ali [Hardcover]

In Farmer's (The House of the Scorpion) pleasing tale set in long-ago Cairo, Ali's father holds a crucial position as the Sultan's pigeon keeper. The pigeons carry messages across Egypt to and from the ruler. When Ali overfeeds one of the birds, chaos results, and the boy must come up with a plan to save his father from certain death in the Sultan's "deep, dark oubliette." The Sultan demands 600 cherries within three days (that "only come by swift ship from the snowy mountains of Syria"). Ali uses the pigeons in an ingenious plan to complete the task. Farmer bases her tale in part on an actual 12th-century ruler who craved fresh cherries from Syria and received them via 600 pigeons. The repetition of phrases recalls the oral tradition, though the book's lengthy narrative may deter read-alouds. Resembling a fable in some parts, historical fiction in others, the tale offers glimpses of this ancient culture (e.g., Ali's father has two wives; men and women live in separate quarters). De Marcken's (The Quiltmaker's Gift) watercolors take on the richness and palette of silks. She incorporates Arabic script in the borders and Islamic mosaics behind many of the text blocks. While the story contains several morals, the upbeat surprise ending ensures that they do not feel heavy-handed. All ages. (Oct.)
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Kindergarten-Grade 4–Farmer presents an imaginative tale based on a true story about a 12th-century Egyptian ruler, Al-Azeez. Ali, at age seven, works with his father taking care of messenger pigeons for the Sultan of Cairo, a harsh and wicked man. He is given a young bird to train, and although he has been warned that the animal will become spoiled and selfish if fed too much, he still sneaks Othman sweets. When the greedy pigeon disrupts the Sultan's feast of rare cherries, the cruel man threatens to throw Ali's father into the oubliette, a dark hole leading down to the domain of an enormous yellow-eyed demon. Ali has three days to replace the 600 cherries and save his father. Vivid watercolors depict the characters and the setting and lend atmosphere to the action. Readers will be especially impressed with the dramatic, fiery-red illustration of the demon surrounded by his jewels. Intricate patterns decorate the pages and appear behind text boxes. De Marcken's endnote explains that these designs have been copied from Cairo's mosques and Islamic antiquities, giving the art an authentic Arabic flavor. Throughout, elegant borders feature the words of al-Jâhiz's In Praise of Books (a poem presented at the tale's beginning) written in the Kufic form of Arabic. This beautifully written story is a treat for the eyes and ears.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
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Set in medieval Egypt, this handsome picture-book adventure for older children uses a long, detailed text to tell the story of seven-year-old Ali, who cares for the homing pigeons in the palace of the cruel sultan of Cairo. When the sultan demands a bowl of 600 cherries, Ali dispatches the pigeons to Syria with instructions to send the fruit back to Cairo tied to their feet. But the sultan still casts Ali into the oubliette, a dark, bottomless hole, where the boy discovers a hideous demon, who turns out to be good and helps Ali return home and trick the sultan. The story's twists and turns and themes, especially the idea of the evil ruler outtricked, will appeal to children, and they will want to look closely at the lush, intricate, richly colored watercolors, alive with magical detail and borders designed with classical Arabic script. As part of her lengthy note, Farmer mentions that the homing pigeon incident is based on an actual event. Hazel Rochman
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When Ali's pigeon ruins the wicked Sultan's bowl of rare cherries, Ali is given three days to replace them; if he fails, his father will be thrown into the dreaded pit where a giant demon lives. "This beautifully written story is a treat for the eyes and ears." - School Library Journal