Goha The Wise Fool - Hardcover

Johnson-Davies, Denys

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399242228 ISBN 13: 9780399242229

Publisher: Philomel, 2005

Synopsis

Meet Goha, that funny little man with the faithful donkey, whose tales, beloved for their wit and wisdom, have been passed down through the streets of the smallest villages of the Middle East for centuries. Meet Goha, who in making us laugh at him, shows us—young and old everywhere— that we can laugh at ourselves.

Collected by one of the Middle East’s most prestigious translators and illustrated in whimsical handsewn khimeyas, this is a joyful celebration of the best of Goha, one of folklore’s most unexpected and beloved heroes.

About this title

About the Author:

Denys Johnson-Davies lives in Cairo, Egypt. Ahmad Mohamed Hamed and Hag Hamdy Mohamed Fattouh live in Egypt.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. In this spirited collaboration, a Middle Eastern trickster-fool is strikingly presented to American children. Johnson-Davies, a translator of Arabic texts who lives in Cairo, provides succinct retellings of 15 "Goha stories," which have been illustrated by a team of Cairo tent makers in the form of traditional khiyamiya tapestries, with bits of bright, solid-colored fabric stitched to roughly woven, oatmeal-toned backgrounds. Many of the tales expose familiar human foibles, as when Goha repurchases his own mule after listening to a dealer's glowing, exaggerated sales pitch for the beast. Others amusingly illustrate wise principles ("In life, it is impossible to please everyone") that belie Goha's deceptively hapless ways. Adults concerned about the authenticity of the materials used to facilitate cross-cultural understanding will welcome this pairing of text and art, but the bold, elemental artwork will sell itself; each scene exudes a comical energy, concentrated around Goha's plump, wide-eyed form, that will instantly put kids in a giggling mood. Johnson-Davies doesn't identify sources, but an endnote explains the tent-making tradition in Cairo (including a wonderful photo of the artists at work) and gives a concise overview of the memorable character's role in numerous Middle Eastern cultures. Jennifer Mattson
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About this edition

• Publisher: Philomel
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0399242228
• ISBN 13: 9780399242229
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Mohamed Fattou Hag Hamdy, El Saed Ahmed Hany