The Day of Ahmed's Secret

by Florence Parry Heide, Judith Heide Gilliland, Ted Lewis

Overview

As young Ahmed finishes delivering bottles of propane gas, he treasures a special secret he can't wait to share with his family. Ahmed has learned to write his name.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780780747173
Publisher:	Harpercollins Childrens Books
Publication date:	04/01/1994
Sales rank:	269,287
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

In this admirable introduction to life in an alien culture, readers are whisked to the busy streets of Cairo--where young Ahmed is making his daily rounds on a donkey cart, delivering large canisters of butane gas. The city is presented through his eyes, and text and illustration work together in harmony to produce a sense of place so vivid that readers can almost hear the cry of vendors in the crowded marketplace and feel the heat rising from the streets. On this particular day, Ahmed carries a secret with him (he has learned to write his name in Arabic), one children will enjoy trying to guess. The authors have produced fluid prose, and Lewin's sensitive, luminous watercolors hint at the mystery and timelessness of this exotic city. Ages 6-9. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Ahmed has monumental news to share with his family, but first he must complete the age-old duties of a butagaz boy, delivering cooking gas to customers all over Cairo. The juxtaposition of old and new is a repeated theme in Heide and Gilliland's thoughtful story of a young boy living in the bustling metropolis surrounded by thousand-year-old walls and buildings. His philosophical musings as he steers his donkey cart on his appointed rounds could be those of any youngster, living in any age, waiting for the appropriate moment to share his special secret. Enhanced by Lewin's distinguished photorealistic watercolors, the sights, sounds, and smells of the exotic setting come to life. Sweeping double-page spreads reveal the sun-bleached streets, pedestrians bearing all manner of bundles, and colorful market stalls. At home at last, surrounded by his loving family, Ahmed demonstrates his newly acquired facility, proudly writing his name in Arabic. Life goes on in the hectic, noisy cities of the world regardless of a day's news and yet, the boundless energy and promise of youth reinforce the ideal that anything is possible. Ahmed's story is a joyful celebration of that spirit.-- Luann Toth, School Library Journal

School Library Journal