Goha The Wise Fool [Hardcover]

Denys Johnson-Davies (Author), Hag Hamdy Mohamed Fattou (Illustrator), Hany El Saed Ahmed (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Meet Goha, that funny little man with the faithful donkey, whose tales, beloved for their wit and wisdom, have been passed down through the streets of the smallest villages of the Middle East for centuries. Meet Goha, who in making us laugh at him, shows us—young and old everywhere— that we can laugh at ourselves.

Collected by one of the Middle East’s most prestigious translators and illustrated in whimsical handsewn khimeyas, this is a joyful celebration of the best of Goha, one of folklore’s most unexpected and beloved heroes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 1-6–Goha, a folk character from the Middle East, is, by turns, a fool, a wise man, and a trickster in these 15 stories. Readers may find some tales familiar from other cultures, such as when Goha gets confused about whether he has 11 or 12 donkeys (depending on whether he is counting while astride or aside of one). Others are less well known, but equally entertaining, as in the tale of friends who try to convince Goha that they are expected for dinner. The protagonist turns the tables by selling their politely removed shoes to pay for the meal. An author's note describes the multiple countries laying claim to the character's origin and shows a photograph of the tentmakers in Cairo who designed and stitched the cloth illustrations, or khiyamiyas, for this book. Colorful caricatures are appliquéd onto a sand-colored background resembling linen; there is one for each tale. The stories contain interesting cultural insights about a part of the world unknown to many in the Western Hemisphere, while yielding universal truths. Although there is a variety of curricular possibilities, children would undoubtedly enjoy comparing this folk hero to his cousins Jack, Anansi, Coyote, or Brer Rabbit. And as a guidebook to survival strategies for challenging situations, there is none better.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. In this spirited collaboration, a Middle Eastern trickster-fool is strikingly presented to American children. Johnson-Davies, a translator of Arabic texts who lives in Cairo, provides succinct retellings of 15 "Goha stories," which have been illustrated by a team of Cairo tent makers in the form of traditional khiyamiya tapestries, with bits of bright, solid-colored fabric stitched to roughly woven, oatmeal-toned backgrounds. Many of the tales expose familiar human foibles, as when Goha repurchases his own mule after listening to a dealer's glowing, exaggerated sales pitch for the beast. Others amusingly illustrate wise principles ("In life, it is impossible to please everyone") that belie Goha's deceptively hapless ways. Adults concerned about the authenticity of the materials used to facilitate cross-cultural understanding will welcome this pairing of text and art, but the bold, elemental artwork will sell itself; each scene exudes a comical energy, concentrated around Goha's plump, wide-eyed form, that will instantly put kids in a giggling mood. Johnson-Davies doesn't identify sources, but an endnote explains the tent-making tradition in Cairo (including a wonderful photo of the artists at work) and gives a concise overview of the memorable character's role in numerous Middle Eastern cultures. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (August 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399242228
• ISBN-13: 978-0399242229
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,309,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Unusual Illustrations Highlight Middle Eastern Folk Tales about Goha, November 24, 2005

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M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Goha The Wise Fool (Hardcover)

According to the book's flyleaf, Goha is a traditional Middle Eastern folk figure, "whose tales have been passed by word of mouth through the streets of the smallest villages...for centuries and centuries, beloved for their wit and wisdom." Each of the 15 brief stories (translated by the renowned Denys Johnson-Davies) has an accompanying illustration made originally from a khiyamiya-a hand-sewn tapestry constructed here by Hag Hamdy and Hany of Cairo, Egypt. The textures, colors, and imaginative compositions and aanimal motifs highlight this unusual and entertaining book.

Goha is a delightful mix of wisdom and folly, two characteristics often intertwined in folklore. The stories read like a comedian's monologue, there's a set-up involving such issues as Goha's domestic arguments with his wife, his encounters with unfamiliar settings and/or people, and his concerns with thieves and moochers, resolved by a short, one or two-line observation/punchline. Although Goha occasionally out-tricks the tricksters and gets direct, though mild revenge (as when some uninvited guests find that their shoes are missing because Goha sold them for the food that they ate, and Goha tells them, "Your shoes are in your stomach."), more often Goha simply turns his inquisitors' comments back on them. After swimming fully clothed because his clothes had previously been stolen on the river bank, his critics comment," How stupid of you...Whoever goes for a swim wearing all of his clothes?" "'Only someone who prefers ...wearing his clothes wet than have someone else wearing them dry." In a few stories, the closing is flat; the humor is neither clever nor funny: A thief makes off with all of their possessions when Goha and his wife settle an argument by seeing who can stay silent the longest. In the story illustrated on the book cover, Goha concludes that there are 19 geese instead of 20 because one of the 20 policemen didn't pick up a goose. Some of the stories work well as moral instruction; in others, however, the storyline seems diminished by the need to convey a message. In the best stories, such as when Goha buys back his own beloved but old donkey after hearing the donkey seller shout its praises, humor combines with Goha's folly and wisdom (sometimes, a naive wisdom) in a natural, unforced manner.

A brief afterward includes a photo of the two illustrators, Hag Hamdy (who drew the pictures) and Hany El Saed Ahmed, who sewed them into tapestries (in a district called the "Street of the Tentmakers"), and also tells more about the Goha character and the various cultures in which he appears. While the stories are a bit uneven, the pictures are unique and beautiful, and lovers of stories set in other lands will find much to enjoy here. Note: The book does not contain cloth material; rather, the tapestries are rendered on high quality paper that reveals the original materials, vivid colors, and texture-based detail.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Folk Tales, August 14, 2009

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S. Dahl - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Goha The Wise Fool (Hardcover)

This book is not just for children, but for anyone interested in the the delightful adventures and life lessons to be gained from mythic characters. Called Goha in the Middle East (Egypt), "the wise fool" goes by many other names and folk fables about him are found in many other cultures. Illustrations for this book are done in fabric art (hand-sewn "khiyamiyas", and the slim little volume is beautifully presented.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wise and funny book, December 31, 2011

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JSK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goha The Wise Fool (Hardcover)

My kids and I love this book. Goha is foolish and wise from story to story. The artwork is truly unique, the stories well-written and thought provoking. So much more than just another kids' book.