Joha Makes A Wish: A Middle Eastern Tale

Making Wishes Come True!I cannot say enough how much I love this book! Master-storyteller Eric Kimmel does it again!On his way to Bagdad, Joha finds a stick. It's not just any stick he finds, but a wishing stick! And you just know things are not going to be so easy for Joha. He wishes for a pair of red leather slippers, and his old worn out sandals disappear! That evil stick! He wishes for the stick to disappear, and it sticks to his hand! Just then, the sultan's guards trot past. Joha hurries to get out of their way. Without thinking, he mutters a wish for a donkey to carry him. Don't you know it: now he has to carry a donkey all the way to Bagdad!That wishing stick brings poor Joha nothing but trouble. It seems there's a secret to using the wishing stick. Will Joha learn its secrets before the really big trouble begins? Will Joha ever find his way out of so much trouble?The watercolor illustrations by Omar Rayyan, breathes life and charm into this endearing character.According to the author's note, this original tale is inspired by Joha the wise fool found in stories throughout Turkey, Iran and central Asia. This is a delightful read aloud for every library!

I picked this one up because I was teaching preschoolers about Iraq. What a fantastic story! The kids had all kinds of guesses as to what was wrong with the stick- they suggested that he wish for the opposite of what he wanted which I thought was very clever. They really loved it, and they were 4 and 5. I admit, I really loved it too and I'm in my 30s :)

IT is a well written book without good illustrations. My 3rd to 6th grade Esl group loved it

Eric Kimmel's books are "the best" in adapting and retelling folk tales from throughout the world. The illustrations always add to the telling of the story and those by Omar Rayyan in this selection are exceptional.

Our students loved this retold traditional tale from the Middle East. Not only an enjoyable story, it is also a bridge-builder.

Clever book just line all of Kimmel's literature

Cute story and a great moral.

Eric Kimmel is a master at reshaping and adapting folklore from different cultures to tell a good story. He has expanded the audience for Jewish tales beyond Jewish children. In his award-winning original story about the legendary Jewish trickster Hershel of Ostropol, Kimmel added the excitement of goblins for Hershel to outwit. In The Jar of Fools, he set universal fools along with Chelmites in the town of Chelm and moved all the action to occur during Hanukkah. Joha Makes a Wish is a new picture book blend. It places the character of a wise fool from Arabic and Jewish cultures in a version of the Jewish Yemenite story "The Answered Prayer." In that folktale, all of a poor man's prayers are answered in the opposite, until, pressed by the prince to save his wife, the man consciously prays for the reverse of what is desired. In Kimmel's story, wishes have the opposite effect because poor Joha is holding a magic stick upside down until an old shopkeeper points this out. Characters from both stories are able to ride home on the donkey they wished for in the first place. Though the traditional Joha is mainly out there for himself, this Joha's decision to do the right thing - to go back to fix the sultan's nose that his wish has messed up - makes for a satisfying ending. Although there is nothing in words that says that this Joha might not be a Jew on his way to Baghdad, Rayyan's detailed, plentiful, and broadly comical illustrations seem to clothe Joha in customary Arab dress. Here Kimmel has melded a traditional Middle Eastern character with a traditional Jewish tale to tell a humorous story for general children's collections. For ages 5-8. Sharon Elswit

I brought this as a fathers day gift to my husband from our sons dad and son reading it together my husband loves the work of Omar Rayyan the illustrator andd thats what attracts us to this book

It's like brand new. A lovely story with superb illustrations.