Awards

• Short-listed for USBBY Outstanding International Books 2009 (United States)
• Shortlisted for USBBY Outstanding International Book for Grades 3-5 2009.

Overview

Secret serpents, devilish demons, mysterious magicians the folk tales of Iraq teem with otherworldly creatures, magic and earthy humour. Award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird has gathered together the very best Iraqi stories during her time in the Middle East stories ranging from thieving porcupines who get their come-uppance to the hilarious tale of the chaos caused by a handsome stranger who knocks at a house inside which lurks a marriageable daughter. Meticulously researched and elegantly retold, the stories reveal the true, traditional heart of Iraq, far removed from today's news headlines.

Full Product Details

9781845076412

Table of Contents

Reviews

This delightful collection of nine Iraqi tales of varying length would be a pleasure to read aloud, with its vaariety of characters' voices and its clear and lively style! Laird's introduction paints a picture of Baghdad and Basra before the war, and of the simple huts and quiet villages in the countryside. Apart from being fine entertainment, these stories reveal a culture that it is a crime to destroy. Sunday Times The wonder of this collection resides in the background details of the animals and in the language that Elizabeth Laird uses in theseretellings. They make the stories seem refreshingly different and new-found, even though their origins are far in the past. Guardian A Fistful of Pearls is enchanting. Its baddies are wolves and theives; its stories are fabulous, and they are just the right length. Its tone is ideal for reading aloud, and perhaps this, more than real baddies and fewer pictures, will encouage children to read for themselves. And bedtime stories from Iraq can surely remind us that some innocence is worth preserving when some real-life baddies are plentiful enough. Daily Telegraph Today's children may have a limited view of anything labelled Iraq, and this delightful collection of nine folk tales could do much to offer them an alternative picture of a gentle culture in which lessons about being kind and forgiving rather than greedy, selfish or envious can be learned through the activities of caliphs and princes, and of magic and talking animals School Librarian Elizabeth Laird makes her contribution towards the process of the country's restoration and reminds us of some of the qualities that are unique to Iraq's literary tradition. The tales contain plenty of humour, and a sprinkling of magic. They are a pleasure to read. Ibby Link

This delightful collection of nine Iraqi tales of varying length would be a pleasure to read aloud, with its vaariety of characters' voices and its clear and lively style... Laird's introduction paints a picture of Baghdad and Basra before the war, and of the simple huts and quiet villages in the countryside. Apart from being fine entertainment, these stories reveal a culture that it is a crime to destroy. Sunday Times The wonder of this collection resides in the background details of the animals and in the language that Elizabeth Laird uses in theseretellings. They make the stories seem refreshingly different and new-found, even though their origins are far in the past. Guardian A Fistful of Pearls is enchanting. Its baddies are wolves and theives; its stories are fabulous, and they are just the right length. Its tone is ideal for reading aloud, and perhaps this, more than real baddies and fewer pictures, will encouage children to read for themselves. And bedtime stories from Iraq can surely remind us that some innocence is worth preserving when some real-life baddies are plentiful enough. Daily Telegraph Today's children may have a limited view of anything labelled Iraq, and this delightful collection of nine folk tales could do much to offer them an alternative picture of a gentle culture in which lessons about being kind and forgiving rather than greedy, selfish or envious can be learned through the activities of caliphs and princes, and of magic and talking animals School Librarian Elizabeth Laird makes her contribution towards the process of the country's restoration and reminds us of some of the qualities that are unique to Iraq's literary tradition. The tales contain plenty of humour, and a sprinkling of magic. They are a pleasure to read. Ibby Link

Author Information

Elizabeth Laird is the renowned author of Kiss the Dust, The Garbage King and A Little Piece of Ground. She has been shortlisted five times for the Carnegie Medal. She has a longstanding interest in Persian literature and has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East. Her other books for Frances Lincoln are Pea Boy: Stories from Iran, A Fistful of Pearls: Stories from Iraq, and The Ogress and the Snake: Stories from Somalia. Elizabeth divides her time between London and Edinburgh. Shelley Fowles was born in South Africa. Her books include The Bachelor and the Bean , winner of the U.S. Maron Vannett Ridgway Honor Book Award 2004. She lives in east London.To visit Shelley Fowles' website click here

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