The Day of Ahmed's Secret [Hardcover]

Florence Parry Heide (Author), Judith Heide Gilliland (Author), Ted Lewin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up

Ahmed delivers bottled propane through the city of Cairo. All day he rides his donkey cart up streets crowded with cars and camels, down alleyways filled with merchants' stalls, past buildings a thousand years old. But today the sights and sounds of Cairo take on a fresh glow for Ahmed, for today he cherishes a secret--Ahmed has learned to write his name! 1990 Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

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 juxtapo sition of old and new is a repeated theme in Heide and Gilliland's thought ful 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. En hanced by Lewin's distinguished pho torealistic 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 lov ing family, Ahmed demonstrates his newly acquired facility, proudly writing his name in Arabic. Life goes on in the hectic, noisy cities of the world regard less of a day's news and yet, the bound less energy and promise of youth rein force the ideal that anything is possible. Ahmed's story is a joyful celebration of that spirit.
-Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1st edition (August 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688088945
• ISBN-13: 978-0688088941
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,638,172 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything Has Its Time to Be, February 5, 2000

By 

Henrietta R. C. Blyden "ESL Teacher" (New York City, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Hardcover)

An especially beautiful and thought-provoking book. The story transports us to Cairo, Egypt, where we are invited to observe a day in the life of a young Egyptian boy who sells gas canisters to help his family, all the while, harboring a secret. A must read if you are interested in learning about other cultures, and about the lives of millions of children around the world. The authors capture the culture, a sense of the language (poetic), the spirit of the people, as well as their philosophy of life. We even get some idea of the geography and history of Egypt; and all of this in a children's book. This is truly an wholistic piece of work. The illustrator does a marvelous job of capturing the sights and colors of Cairo. I have been so impressed by this book as to have recommended it to countless students and teachers in the school system where I teach. I have even been moved to write and thank the authors, who graciously responded.

I would also highly recommend the authors' other two books in this trilogy of stories set in the Middle East: 'The House of Wisdom' set in ninth-century Baghdad, Iraq (poetic), and 'Sami and the Time of the Troubles' set in modern day Lebanon. [Read an interview with the authors in November 1999 issue of 'Book Links' magazine.]

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Keeper!, June 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Day of Ahmed's Secret (Paperback)

I love this book because it conveys better than any book I've seen the magic of the breakthrough to literacy. The excitement of this working class boy who will now embark upon a whole new world because he has the first tool captures a precious moment in every child's life - and all this is accomplished with a text and illustrations that are bright and alive.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK!!!, March 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Library Binding)

I loved this book. it is amazing. the words are lovely, the plot enchanting, and the illustrations are superb. if you can avoid it, don't let anyone tell you ahmed's secret until you can read it for yourself. it's well worth reading the whole thing to find it.