Heide and Gilliland (Sami and the Time of the Troubles, 1992, etc.) bring to readers Baghdad of the ninth century, a time and a place that sought wisdom and encouraged learning to the point of incandescence. The story concerns Ishaq, the son of Hunayn, one of the scholars of Caliph al-Ma’mun’s grand House of Wisdom; it harbored both learned men and the great books of history, brought there by caravans that ranged throughout the known world. Ishaq is fascinated by his father’s passion for the ancient books, but he doesn’t share the fire for learning. He dreams of leading a caravan and when he gets his opportunity, travels for three years, returning to Baghdad with a great collection of books, including a lost manuscript of Aristotle’s. This last excites Ishaq in a way he had never experienced, and he, too, decides to become a scholar in the House of Wisdom. Heide and Gilliland become almost mystical about the pleasures of learning, while GrandPrÇ’s fanciful, exotic artwork, with high domed ceilings and ornately patterned walls and floors, give books a sacred residence. That the three main characters were real gives the story its weight; it’s an idyllic moment in history, with the architectural splendors of old Baghdad providing just the right setting. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7894-2562-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
Gibberish with meritless pictures. (Picture book. 5-7)
A young girl’s dream takes her on a fantastical adventure.
In what is ostensibly verse, Akley tells of a little girl who has a dream–or perhaps a metaphorical adventure or spiritual awakening–about a gold candlestick. Determined to find the meaning behind it, she embarks on a quest, along the way meeting various preachy animals in different settings. It’s clear that lessons are supposedly being taught, but what exactly that wisdom entails is lost in text that is awkward, lengthy and clichéd. Presented as prose despite the attempted verse, the story fails to generate interest. The accompanying illustrations are unpleasantly colored and amateurish; faces are distorted, and the pictures often deviate from the text. Readers will sense that the girl achieves her quest but will never understand its purpose. Akley claims the story has a basis in the Book of Revelations, but beyond the word “cross” and the possibility of an ever-present shepherd, no actual meaning–religious or secular–is decipherable.
Gibberish with meritless pictures. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 13, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4327-0312-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In The Palm Of Darkness ($21.00; May 1997; 192 pp.; 0-06-018703- 4): A Cuban writers's intensely imaginative portrait of the extremities of Haitian culture rings some fresh changes on the overfamiliar theme of intellectual arrogance humbled by its collision with ``elemental'' peasant wisdom. Montero subtly builds up a revealing contrast between Victor Griggs, a European herpetologist searching for the remaining specimens of an endangered species of amphibian, and his native guide Thierry Adrien's memories of his family's encounter with the island's ubiquitous spirits. This truly original novel is studded with surprises—not least of which is the concept of a species suddenly and entirely disappearing in a milieu where the living and the dead are known to mingle together more or less matter-of-factly. A refreshingly sophisticated treat. (Author tour)
Pub Date: May 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-06-018703-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1997
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