Synopsis
Ibrahim is tempted to exchange his job in the old market place in Marrakesh for a freer life as a desert nomad, until a dream shows him that freedom is something carried in the heart.
Reviews
Grade 2-4-- In this colorful translation from the Catalan, Ibrahim is delighted to be given adult responsibilities at his father's Marrakesh market stall. But he becomes doubtful about his own future when friend Hassan chooses to leave the city and take up a nomadic desert life. The solitude and solemnity of the desert suddenly become virtues to be sought. Ibrahim's father warns him that the desert life would be much too hard and lonely for a town boy, as well as a cause of heartbreak to his parents. After a rather contrived dream conversation with a genie, Ibrahim decides to remain where and as he is. Although American children are bombarded with the cultural message that they can do and be whatever they like, seldom do they make permanent adult choices while they are yet children. Ibrahim is doing just that. His solution is to stick with the tried and true, and to learn to like it. Certainly it is just as acceptable to live quietly and unadventurously as it is to explore new territory. There is another message here as well, and it is: be cautious, don't take risks, don't make changes. Is Ibrahim's choice sensibly conservative or contemptibly reactionary? Ibrahim gives the opportunity to open such a discussion with children, and at the same time, to relieve the philosophical load with buoyant, light watercolor illustrations. An interesting look at an ethnic group rarely seen in children's picture books in this country. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, McKinney, Tex.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In a translator's note, Caldecott Medal-winner Simont tells readers that he grew up in Barcelona, where his grandfather told him Catalan tales such as this one, about a boy who happily works alongside his father in the marketplace in Marrakesh. Ibrahim has only just begun his working life and is content, but when his friend Hassan announces that he is going to roam the desert, serenity vanishes. Ibrahim wonders if he, like Hassan, will soon feel "imprisoned" by the city. In his dreams, he sees the beauty of the desert, but another dream brings a vision of a genie, who shows Ibrahim the way to peace within himself. Vibrant illustrations of the market bring a lovely chaos to this tale: stalls and baskets full of grain, bunches of herbs and strings of red peppers decorate the pages. The setting is exotic, but the concerns mirror those of any child wondering about choices in the years ahead. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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