Written by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim. Illustrated by Winslow Pels. First edition, 2002. Boyds Mills Press.
"Long ago, in a land called Persia, there lived a boy named Ali ibn Ali. His father was a wealthy merchant. His mother was a woman of great beauty and even greater kindness. His home was a palace where fountains overflowed into deep reflecting pools. As he had no brothers or sisters, he was, so everyone said, the apricot of his parents' eye.
"But fortunate as Ali ibn Ali was in worldly gifts, he was most unfortunate in that he had grown spiled and selfish.
"I don't like these grapes!" A handful of fruit went flying through the air. Ali was sitting cross-legged with a small black monkey on his shoulder. "Neither does Layla! They are fit only for the beggar who fouls our gate!"
Front Flap
"Ali ibn Ali loves his mother and father. But the spoiled and selfish boy has nothing but disdain for others, especially the beggar who sits at the palace gate. Why is the beggar allowed to sit there, Ali wonders. "A true Muslim gives to the poor," says his mother. "As he chooses to bless our gate and accept our food, there he shall remain," says his father.
Ali ibn Ali quickly discovers the beggar's life-saving value.
Shulamith Levey Oppenheim (1928 - ) has written more than 15 books with a special interest in folktales from different cultures. Her work includes The Lily Cupboard: A Story of the Holocaust, The Fish Prince and Other Stories: Mermen Folk Tales, and Rescuing Einstein's Compass. She has also been a children's book reviewer for the New York Times Book Review and a presenter of literary programs on public radio.
Winslow Pinney Pels specializes in theatrical illustration with a special affection for children's books. Among her most notable works: Stone Soup, The Magic Fish, Iron John, Beauty and the Beast, and Turandot. She's collaborated with other authors such as Ann McGovern, Freya Littledale, Mary Pope Osborne, and Ruth Belov Gross.
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Condition: Fine/Near Fine. Dust jacket: Light shelf wear. Illustrated cover boards. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.
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