Review by Booklist Review
Great storytelling for a wide age range, this Islamic folklore collection focuses on Mulla Nasruddin, who is funny and wise, silly and grumpy, the conscience of his community but never self-important. Husain heard these stories as a child growing up in India and Pakistan, and they are still told today. The pictures in gouache, watercolor, pen and ink, and collage many of which have a stained-glass appeal will have kids looking closely at the intricate details that show the surprising, sometimes hilarious turnabouts. In The Price of Steam, the Mulla teaches the miser a wry lesson: if the miser can charge for the steam that flavors food, then the Mulla can pay for it with the jingle of coins. Sometimes the Mulla is the fool, as when he tries to capture the moon where he sees it reflected in a well, but he is most often a Sufi (spiritual seeker), and Muslim beliefs permeate and inform the tales. But these are nonpreachy messages, and the irreverence is part of the fun. Includes a glossary and bibliography.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mulla Nasruddin, a legendary 13th-century character based on a traveling Sufi and the hero of beloved stories in Asia, Africa, and Europe, plays different roles in each of these 22 brief Islamic tales: that of a judicious moderator, a shrewd negotiator, a trickster, and an everyman (he argues with his wife in one story and, in another, tells a white lie to avoid loaning his donkey to a freeloader). Husain's accessible and lively prose delivers satisfying morals that are rarely predictable; for example, when the Mulla concocts an inventive story to keep his pupils from eating his baklava and returns to find the plate empty, he praises a pupil who tells a tall tale of his own. Rendered in vibrant golds, greens, and blues, Archer's collages, created from a variety of papers and homemade stamps, seamlessly intermesh with the spirited vignettes. Ages 6-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-The excellent introduction to this collection of fables featuring the 13th-century Sufi Mulla Nasruddin explains that his exploits are popular throughout the Islamic world. Often depicted with his faithful donkey and an oversize turban, Nasruddin inspires respect along with smiles. These 22 stories find Nasruddin matching wits with wise men and the demanding ruler Tamerlaine, and passing out justice in stories such as "The Price of Steam." Though revered for his wisdom, Nasruddin was also an Everyman with nosy neighbors and the delightful ability to laugh at himself. When his neighbors notice his turban is missing, Nasruddin explains: "Oh, I passed some boys playing in the field-and guess what? My turban remembered what it is like to be young and decided to stay and join in." Vibrantly colored collage illustrations, most of them full page, add appeal, and there's a helpful glossary. This well-crafted title should engage a wide audience.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
As explained in the informative introduction, stories about Mulla Nasruddin appear throughout the Islamic world. The twenty-two short tales presented here (in tiny font) always have a kernel of humanistic wisdom, whether the protagonist pronounces judgment upon the foolish behavior of others or even laughs at his own actions. Brightly patterned collages accompany the tales. A pronunciation guide is appended. Bib., glos. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Twenty-two short, entertaining and instructive tales, selected from many told about Mulla Nasruddin, introduce this wise fool known across the Islamic world from the Middle East to western China.Known also as Khoja (or a variant of that respectful title), Nasruddin is sometimes judge, sometimes trickster and sometimes figure of fun who may once have been real, a 13th-century Turkish mystic. He's here brought to a Western audience by an author who remembers these tales from her childhood in India and Pakistan and an illustrator whose collage work recalls the colors, patterns and perspectives of Persian and Indian miniatures. The stories are short, most no more than a page or two; the morals are unstated. They're set on full-bleed double-page spreads or opposite framed pictures in vibrant colorsblues, reds, yellow-golds and greens. Among the geometrical designs and patterns, flat perspectives and frames from which some details escape, Mulla is easily recognizable with his beard, hooked nose and turban. Readers and storytellers looking for a particular one will find this compilation easy to use, with its numbered pages and a table of contents. This handsome retelling concludes with a glossary and list of the author's sources.Most of these tales will be unfamiliar to American children, making this most welcome, as well as necessary for any folklore collection. (Folklore. 7 up) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
