Clever Ali

My 7 year old (son) is interested in much more sophisticated stories than he can read on his own, yet he doesn't always have the patience to sit and listen to a book with absolutely no pictures. This story captivated him, as did the pictures, which helped him visualize the story. My older son has read a number of Nancy Farmer books (House of the Scorpion, Sea of Trolls) and I was pleased to find a book suitable for reading to younger children. I enjoyed this story of a boy who gets himself in trouble by not following directions, but is clever enough to get himself out of trouble. There is a dungeon in this story (oubliette) so beware.

When Ali turns seven he goes to work with his father, who keeps pigeons for the wicked sultan of Cairo, and learns all kinds of rules about their care - which he disobeys. He overfeeds one greedy pigeon who runs a bowl of the Sultan's rare cherries - and is given only three days to replace them or his father will suffer. Kids in grades 2-4 will appreciate Gail De Marcken's lovely ethnic drawings which are perfect pairings for an Arabian story of adventure.