Tales From the Arabian Nights: Stories of Adventure, Magic, Love, and Betrayal

by Donna Jo Napoli, Christina Balit (Illustrator)

Overview

Classic stories and dazzling illustrations of princesses, kings, sailors, and genies come to life in a stunning retelling of the Arabian folk tales from One Thousand and One Nights and other collections, including those of Aladdin, Sinbad the Sailor, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The magical storytelling of award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli dramatizes these timeless tals and ignites children's imaginations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426325403
Publisher:	Disney Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/25/2016
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	701,471
Product dimensions:	11.80(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

DONNA JO NAPOLI is professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College, mother of five, grandmother of five, and the author of more than 80 books for children and young adults. While her undergraduate major was mathematics and her graduate work was in linguistics, she has a profound love of mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. 


CHRISTINA BALIT is a graduate of the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. An award-winning dramatist and illustrator, Christina has painted more than 20 children's books, including Blodin and the Beast by Michael Morpurgo, Zoo in the Sky, The Planet Gods, The Lion Bible, National Geographic's Treasury of Greek Mythology, and National Geographic's Treasury Egyptian Mythology. Her author titles include Escape From Pompeii, Atlantis, The Legend of the Lost City, and An Arabian Home. Her plays include Woman With Upturned Skirt, The Sentence, and Needle (winner of the Brave New Role award).

Editorial Reviews

10/17/2016
Napoli and Balit follow their collections of Egyptian, Greek, and Norse myth with a selection of the stories recounted by Scheherazade, a girl “subject to the whims of a man so deeply wounded his ego wobbles with every step,” as Napoli writes in her introduction. Brief sidebars provide context and insight into the stories: a discussion titled “Horses in History” accompanies Sindbad the sailor’s fourth voyage, and an overview of the use of rugs joins “The Tale of Prince Hussain and the Magic Carpet.” Balit’s ornate tableaus feature fluid forms and gold accents, helping evoke the drama and mystery of the tales. The supplemental educational content, including a map of the ancient Arab world and notes on Napoli’s approach to her skilled retellings, allows for a deeper understanding of these stories and their significance within a larger cultural context. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"A brilliant tapestry woven not of yarn but of stories, both fresh and faithful to its historical roots." — Kirkus Starred Review

"The supplemental educational content, including a map of the ancient Arab world and notes on Napoli’s approach to her skilled retellings, allows for a deeper understanding of these stories and their significance within a larger cultural context." — Publishers Weekly

"As a collection, the book straddles the line between pleasure reading—enhanced by the vibrant and highly stylized artwork—and a scholarly source, complete with sidebars, maps of the ancient Arab world, and additional sources for those interested in further pursuit." — Booklist

"A generation raised on Disney films will recognize some of the tales, and the sheer power of the storytelling will sweep them along through the rest... And really, it simply isn’t possible to beat the sheer drama of the high-stakes premise of this important literary treasure... This is a must-have for collections and young readers everywhere." — The Booklist Reader

"Highly recommended, especially for private browsing and public library collections." — Midwest Book Review


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From the Publisher

02/01/2017
Gr 4 Up—A carefully researched collection of tales from the Arabian Nights accompanied by a wealth of historical and cultural commentary. Napoli, a seasoned teller of ancient legends (Treasury of Egyptian Mythology; Treasury of Greek Mythology), first introduces readers to the main tropes and reoccurring themes present in many of the pieces, effectively setting up a critical framework for students to draw from (e.g., What is the significance of the self-reliant hero? What is the relationship between storyteller and listener, etc.). Napoli addresses Scheherazade but also emphasizes that each episode can stand on its own. The work includes 25 tales, from the seven voyages of Sinbad to "King Yunan and Sage Duban." Balit's illustrations are eye-catching; the emphasis on pattern captures not only the energy and magic of the entries but also a key tenet of Islamic art. Sidebars expand on topics within the stories to provide students with a deeper understanding of some of the more subtle cultural aspects of each vignette (the importance of the number four, the transformational power of words, bathing as a social activity, and more). The volume concludes with a postscript, where Napoli expands on the history of the Arabian Nights and the editorial choices she made when compiling the work. VERDICT A grand addition to Napoli's treasury of mythology books. Consider to refresh collections.—Della Farrell, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ Aug. 30, 2016
Forty-five (compressed from the original 1,001) nights of interwoven stories map Scheherazade’s courageous campaign to heal the heart of her murderous and disillusioned husband—and save her own life in the bargain.Drawn from authoritative sources and retold in plain (and, aside from references to the Almighty, nonreligious) language, the selections are arranged in several sequences of nights, with “extras” interposed and interludes that set up and flesh out the frame story. Brave and clever women stand out in these versions, notably Ali Baba’s wife, Marjana, the princess who marries Maaruf the Cobbler (and Maaruf’s comically abusive first wife, Dung Fatima)—and especially Scheherazade herself, who over the many nights, any one of which could be her last, presents Shah Rayar with three children as well as tantalizingly strung-out adventures featuring moral quandaries, decisions wise and foolish, reversals of fortune, love, and wisdom’s growth. Overall, Napoli sees the Arabian Nights as more “optimistic” than the Greek, Norse, or ancient Egyptian mythologies she has explored in previous collections in this series: “There is a strong sense that good behavior will lead to good results and that the world is basically a lot more delightful than it is frightful.” Balit whirls bright patterns around stylized figures to add notes of grandeur to each tale. Faces are light-skinned, but she does add hints of regional features and dress for stories set in “China” or “the Indies.” A brilliant tapestry woven not of yarn but of stories, both fresh and faithful to its historical roots. (introduction, index, extensive source notes) (Folk tales. 10-14)

Kirkus Review