The Earth Shook: A Persian Tale [Hardcover]

Donna Jo Napoli (Author), Gabi Swiatkowska (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Little Parisa—Farsi for "like an angel"—goes to bed one night only to be shaken from sleep by an earthquake that rocks her home of Bam, Iran. Frightened and alone—the earthquake has left her town deserted—Parisa knocks on the doors of various animals, only to be rebuffed again and again. Boar accuses her of being a hunter; Owl blames her for taking his food and leaving him hungry. Lion just gives a ferocious roar. Left with nothing but her resolve, Parisa turns to the most natural of human instincts: She walked as a human child under the sun. She dances. She laughs. She waters neglected flowers. She shares. And one by one, her generous spirit inspires the animals around her to put aside their differences and revel in the simple delights that unite them.

Donna Jo Napoli's accomplished storytelling is beautifully complemented by Gabi Swiatkowska's dramatic oil paintings to celebrate the courage and fortitude of the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–4—Napoli spins a strange and troubling story of a lone child left to survive in a world of wild animals. As Parisa (Farsi for "Like an Angel") is sleeping in her bed, the earth shakes and homes collapse. "No one was left within the town walls except Parisa" and she slips "…outside like a frightened whisper." Each day, the girl knocks on a door that is answered by an animal: Boar on Saturday, Snapping Turtle on Sunday, then Bear, Owl, Snake, Wolf, and Lion. Having been harmed in some way by either human or beast, each creature sends the child away with a threat. Referring to the animals as "monsters," the resilient girl decides to "do what humans do." She exhibits kindness, thankfulness, and laughter, and several animals join in. According to an author's note, the inspiration for the story came from a 2003 earthquake that killed half the population in the city of Bam, Iran, and orphaned many children. A number of Swiatkowska's impressionistic oil paintings feature striking, larger-than-life close-ups of Parisa's face, legs, and body; of Snapping Turtle and Bear, Owl and Lion. With the paint layered color upon color, the artist's boldly stroked style is even looser and more imaginative than that employed in Helen Recorvits's Yoon and the Jade Bracelet (Farrar, 2008). Artistry aside, the jarring tale ends abruptly, leaving disturbing thoughts in its wake.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH END

About the Author

Donna Jo Napoli teaches linguistics and is the author of several acclaimed novels for middle graders and young adults. She lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, with her family.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (August 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142310448X
• ISBN-13: 978-1423104483
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,207,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable experience for all the children lucky enough to read or have it read to them, November 21, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Earth Shook: A Persian Tale (Hardcover)

"The Earth Shook: A Persian Tale" is a beautiful modern children's fable inspired by events connected to the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran. Parisa, a Persian girl whose name means "like an angel," is left to explore what remains of her town after the earth shakes and collapses homes all around her. She embarks on a mystical quest to discover, or to remember what it means to be human. She knocks on different doors and encounters many mystical beasts who threaten her because some part of her reminds them of bad experiences with humans. She meets Boar, snapping turtle, Bear, Owl, Snake, Wolf, and Lion. In fearful response to the animals warnings, she tries to conceal parts of herself with veils, but finally she decides to stop hiding and to do what humans do. she takes off her veil, gloves, and leg coverings and walks as a human child under the sun. Then she decides to dig a pool for water to give to thirsty flowers. Boar digs another pool and Snapping Turtle basks in it. Parisa decides to make a drum and dance, and Bear and Owl join her. Because she needs to laugh, she tells herself jokes and rolls on the ground laughing. Snake and Wolf roll and laugh too. Lion, who did not speak but only roared, is aloof. Finally Parisa makes a fragrant pot of rice with cranberries and pistachio nuts. She takes courage from the air, sand, water, and sun. Then she puts the rice in a big wide bowl in the ground because humans share, "and everyone ate, passing the bowl." Beautiful expressive oil paintings adorn each page of "The Earth Shook," making it an unforgettable experience for all the children lucky enough to read or have it read to them.