Neem the Half-Boy [Paperback]

Idries Shah (Author), Midori Mori (Illustrator), Robert Revels (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Because the queen of Hich-Hich fails to follow the precise instructions given to her by Arif the wise nan, she gives birth to a half-boy. This unusual and memorable tale about an incomplete boy will fascinate young readers and will encourage them to think about just what it means to be "a complete person." That Neem is able to make himself complete by an act of cleverness, negotiation, and compromise teaches children more than the expected, usual lesson of bravery.

This enchanting tale of Prince Neem, the king and queen of Hich-Hich, Arif the wise man, fairies and a fire-breathing dragon is marvelously and magically illustrated by Midori Mori and Robert Revels.

Ages 3-8

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-A folktale from the Middle East, told in a rather flat, dull style. In the land of Hich-Hich, a king and queen have no idea how to get a child, so the fairies ask the wise man, who gives them an apple to give to the queen, explaining that if she eats it, she will have a son. However, the queen has a short attention span and half way through the apple she forgets why she was eating it and leaves the rest. Well, she does have a child but he is half a child! Neem (which means half in the language of Hich-Hich) wants to be whole so the fairies ask the wise man, again, and he sends Neem on a quest to get a special medicine hidden in the cave of the fire-breathing dragon. He succeeds by making friends with the beast and, of course, becomes whole. While the illustrations have a sense of India, they will not capture a child's interest. There is no background information on the source of this story, which has little to recommend it.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"... the endings are not confrontational but unexpectedly benign ... brightly colored, cheerful illustrations ... express upbeat peaceful messages." -- Booklist, October 1, 1998

"Enjoy ... new bright collections featuring different illustrators ... fine stories!" -- REVIEWER'S CHOICE, The Children's Bookwatch

"Enjoy ... new bright collections featuring different illustrators ... fine stories!" -- REVIEWER'S CHOICE, The Children's Bookwatch

"Repeated reading reveals more and more of their true function as instruments of developmental processes in both adults and children." -- David F. Arredondo, M.D., Principal Psychiatrist, Commonweal Children's Program, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

"These stories ... help in the development of children's cognitive abilities." -- Robert Ornstein, Ph.D., author of --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hoopoe Books (April 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883536952
• ISBN-13: 978-1883536954
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 1.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,654,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Self-searching important theme for kids, August 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Neem the Half-Boy (Hardcover)

Last month I saw an amazing documentary ("Boys Will Be Men") about an intervention program for at-risk boys. The kids were told a adult version of this same story about a half-boy who is ostracized and searches for his other half. They were asked to interpret the story in the context of their own lives using poetry. The kids came together to perform the poems, astounding their parents. Clearly, the notion of being incomplete, of having to overcome great difficulties to find oneself, is very meaningful for kids today. And this wonderful book is a great way to bring the experience to even very young children. As a psychologist and a parent, I highly recommend it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Childrens books by Idries Shah build mental agility, July 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Neem the Half-Boy (Hardcover)

[....] It's clear that we need to provide our kids - especially boys - with tools to counter the violence and knee-jerk aggression ubiquitous in popular culture. These children's stories by Idries Shah are just this kind of tool. They're not preachy. They don't offer simplistic lessons or moral platitudes. They're more like exercises for "mental muscle groups" grossly underdeveloped in this culture: A strong sense of one's own value. Empathy. Flexibility in thinking and responding. Appreciating that not everyone is the same, not every outcome is predictable. Seeing that there are more than two sides to a situation. A sense that patience and perseverance can pay off, sometimes in unexpected ways. Not demanding easy answers. A sense that things are not always as they seem, that the viewpoint of "experts" - or even the whole community - is not always right. The experience of seeing something that even adults don't see, of creating clever solutions. The sense that taking positive action is possible and rewarding-even when one has to buck the tide. That help can come from where and when we least expect it. The sense that life has interesting "loose ends" for us to reflect on. And so much more. At least one of these books should be on every child's book shelf.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, unpretentious, powerful story, September 14, 2007

By 

todhaha "todhaha" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Neem the Half-Boy (Paperback)

We picked this up at the library, and it quickly became a favorite of both of our daughters (2-years and 4-years), and ours as well. So much so that we're making sure we buy it so it arrives before we have to return the library's copy.

The story is told in a very unpretentious style. Many of the recent children's books we see are so heavy with weight or wit that they are better for reading by yourself than to others. The simple sentences and matter-of-fact narrative in "Neem, The Half Boy" make it a pleasure to read aloud. It reminds me, in its honest simplicity of style, of Maurice Sendak's "Little Bear" stories and the writings of Arnold Lobel, and that's high praise for me.

Despite its simplicity however, there are powerful lessons here. The queen who starts eating a magic apple, only to lose focus and run off to do something else offers a familiar example for any child. "Do you know anyone who stops playing with a toy, and runs off to do something else, leaving the toy on the ground?" "Me." "Yup." The fact that it is also the cause of Neem's special condition makes the lesson memorable. Later, the Hich Hich fairies deliver a message from Arif the Wise Man to Neem incorrectly, with potentially dangerous results (Arif never says Neem has to drive the dragon away; the fairies add that themselves), and we were able to talk about the importance of saying what you mean and communicating what you hear accurately. Finally, the wisdom of the dragon in defusing Neem's aggressive approach with the simple question, "Why?", an honest explanation of his own situation and a willingness to share made the denouement of this book truly special and empowering. And, they all live happily ever after.

Bravo to Mr. Shah.