Parry, Florence. The Day of Ahmed's Secret. Illus. Ted Lewin. HarperTrophy, 1995.Ahmed has a secret, and he's bursting to tell everybody he meets on the streets and marketplaces of Cairo. But first he must finish his daily rounds as a butagaz boy, delivering butane gas by donkey cart all through the city. The suspense of the secret is maintained as the reader navigates through the gorgeous and photo-realistic watercolour illustrations of Ahmed's daily encounters, until the last page: "Today I learned to write my name." The name is written in Arabic script, but the joy and wonder at being able to write one's own name bridges language and culture to celebrate this important milestone in many children's lives. A gorgeous, believable book with a story that transcends cultural differences without aiming to erase them.
1 comment:
this is one of my favorite books.
"hurry to grow strong
but not to grow old"
the whole book is wonderful
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