From Publishers Weekly
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.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
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 Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
