English writer Joan Aiken could have been describing Folktales for a Better World when she wrote that "from the beginning of the human race stories have been used ... as magic instruments of healing, of teaching, as a means of helping people come to terms with the fact that they continually have to face insoluble problems and unbearable realities." In these seven stories from Ethiopia, Sudan, Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and China, readers come face-to-face with greed, cruelty, and seeds of violence, but only to show that generosity, kindness, peacemaking are altogether stronger forces.
When two dogs tussle over a bone, leading their owners to fight, soon drawing in their families and then clans to battle, what can be done to reverse the spiral of violence? How can a sultan determine which of his three sons has the right character qualities to succeed him? When a girl's rich father casts her out, how can she find her way in the world? These and other dilemmas, each in their own way, lead to reflections on the value of peace and kindness and how to cultivate them within ourselves and our communities.
Drawn from a variety of narrated and published sources, the folktales have been adapted for readers ages five to eight by award-winning writer Elizabeth Laird. Laird has spent her life exploring many different cultures and has lived and worked in Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. She chose these stories intentionally as an antidote to the sadness in the world, "where too many have had to flee from cruel wars."
Iranian-born illustrator Mehrdokht Amini has been nominated twice for Kate Greenaway Medals and been invited to participate in the prestigious Bratislava Biennial of Illustrations. She tailors her work to the mood of each project and age group, and in this book brings vibrant fabric designs, expressive glances, adorable creatures, and culture-specific visual cues to the heartwarming storylines.
Into the "insoluble problems and unbearable realities" that we also face, these tales bring levity, hope, and the belief that peace and kindness can prevail. That's good medicine for what ails us.
