Children's Books by Idries Shah

Reviews of the entire Hoopoe Books series

The Library of Congress
“These stories, with improbable events that lead the reader’s mind into new and unexplored venues, allow her or him to develop more flexibility and to understand this complex world better.”
(From a recent lecture by Psychologist Robert Ornstein).

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
“[Shah’s] stories … transcend any culture … deal with a range of issues, from fear and self-confidence to goals and dreams.”

NEA Today: The Magazine of the National Education Association
“…a series of children’s books that have captivated the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life. The books are tales from a rich tradition of story telling from Central Asia and the Middle East. Stories told and retold to children, by campfire and candlelight, for more than a thousand years. Through repeated readings, these stories provoke fresh insight and more flexible thought in children. Beautifully illustrated.”

Book Links
“The books’ peaceful messages and accurate depictions of Afghanistan’s rich culture are excellent for teachers, librarians, and parents searching for positive literature about this country.”

Booklist
“Brightly colored, cheerful illustrations express upbeat peaceful messages.”

Bookbird, A Journal of International Children’s Literature
“Shah’s versatile and multilayered tales provoke fresh insight and more flexible thought in children.”

The Children’s Bookwatch: Reviewer’s Choice
“Enjoy ... new bright collections featuring different illustrators ... fine stories!”

Selected Reviews from School Library Journal
The Clever Boy and the Terrible Dangerous Animal
“This entertaining folktale is part of an oral tradition from the Middle East and Central Asia. A boy visits a neighboring village where he discovers a frightened crowd pointing to ‘a dangerous animal’ in one of their fields. The youngster soon realizes that the large and terrifying object is a ‘MELON!’ He proceeds to show the villagers that it can be eaten, and then they are fearful of him. He laughs at their silliness and their fear of the unknown, and convinces them that they can also plant its seeds and grow their own fruit. The strangers take his advice and soon their town is called Melon Village. The satisfying ending includes an illustration of the boy looking out onto fields full of melons. The colorful and humorously rendered illustrations bring this story to life. A great choice for anyone looking for a fun folktale with a positive message.”

The Magic Horse
“...illustrated with jewel-toned, delicate paintings featuring the costumes, tools, buildings, and animals of the Moslem East. The two brothers do not represent good and evil as happens so often in Western tales, but instead merely the choice of two different paths. This unique quality as well as rich art will invite discussions of differences in the characters and meanings of tales across cultures... a welcome addition to traditional literature collections.”

The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water
“Rodriguez’s illustrations are expansive, jovial, and colorful.”

The Farmer’s Wife
“... the folk art illustrations are boldly attractive ... striking pictures of golden hills, brilliant blue skies, and the woman’s Middle Eastern dress ...”

The Silly Chicken
“Set in the Middle East, Shah’s retelling of a Sufi story sends a gentle message to readers: just because someone says it’s so, does not make it so. A silly chicken that a wise man teaches to speak tells the people, ‘The earth is going to swallow us up!’ After several panicked and humorously illustrated attempts to escape the earth, the people return to their village and question the chicken about where he got his information. Of course, he hasn’t the slightest idea what he’s talking about. With its simple language and repeating phrases, the story begs to be told, and Jackson’s colorful pastel illustrations lend a zany accent to the antics. It’s a classic case of ‘the sky is falling’ from an ancient culture, and it still has the ring of truth today.”

The Boy Without a Name
“The lively and colorful artwork evokes the Middle Eastern setting.”

Booklist
The Silly Chicken
“...this quirky, good-natured fable, with bright, aptly comical pictures, ably illustrates the maxim, it’s important not to believe everything you hear.”

The Boy Without a Name
“... the religious significance is set aside in favor of a broader message of peace and happiness ... this is a satisfying bedtime story that will encourage pleasant dreams to drift into little ears.”

Bookbird, A Journal of International Children’s Literature
Neem the Half-Boy
“ Shah’s adaptation of this traditional Sufi tale will encourage children to contemplate the meaning of psychological ‘wholeness.’”

Publisher’s Weekly
The Magic Horse
“Ornately decorated pages, with inset naturalistic illustrations and frame upon frame of geometric borders, complement the exotic scenes ... Freeman’s patterns recall both mosaics and kaleidoscopes.”

Kirkus Reviews
The Old Woman and the Eagle
“Out of Afghanistan comes this simple Sufi folk story collected by the late, noted Afghan author. In this gloriously illustrated tale, an old woman grooms an eagle to represent what she thinks is a pigeon—the only type of bird with which she is familiar. ... Delmar’s paintings are beautiful and realistic. The side panels with detailed borders reflect elements of the tale and foreshadow events or reflect the elegant setting. ... the classic story, packaged in an elegant design, will be a good addition to every collection.”

Midwest Book Review
The Old Woman and the Eagle
“Natasha Delmar’s eye-catching color illustrations add a special touch to this wonderful story about learning to be open to new sights and things. ”

Selected Awards and Distinctions
The Library of Congress
The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal was chosen for the 2002 children’s holiday program.

Chicago Board of Education
Department of Libraries and Informational Services, Medill Professional Training Center
Four titles were selected to be included in the first collection of multicultural books which will be acquired by 200 local schools.

Chicago Public Library System
Children’s and Youth Services Division
The Farmer’s Wife and The Boy Without A Name were selected as recommended titles. All seven titles were listed by the main library for inclusion in local library collections.

Chicago Board of Education
International Scholars Magnet Cluster Program, Office of Specialized Services
All of the Hoopoe titles were selected to be included in the multicultural libraries at Chicago’s magnet cluster schools

Michigan Department of Education
The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water was chosen as part of the statewide R.E.A.D.Y. (Read, Educate and Develop Youth) program designed to make sure children have the necessary pre-reading skills (language, vocabulary, alphabet) by the time they enter school. R.E.A.D.Y. is part of an award-winning and innovative reading plan launched in 1998 by Michigan governor John Engler to help every student in the state read by the end of third grade.

National Parenting Publications Awards, 1998 Honors Award
The Farmer’s Wife

Children’s Books by Idries Shah

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