The Emperor’s Ostrich

The Emperor's Ostrich
Synopsis
Young dairymaid Begonia has lost her cow, Alfalfa. So she has set off on a search across the countryside even though she has nothing but a magical map to guide her. Along the way she meets a mother and baby, a woodcutter, a very dirty young man, and an eight-foot ostrich. Meanwhile, the Emperor has gone missing from the royal palace in a most mysterious manner. Was it murder? Was it magic? It will take all of Begonia’s wits to save the empire and get Alfalfa home safely.
  • Virtue
    VIRTUE
    Is this the way I want my child to think and act?
    Ratings are based on how much a book extols Islamic morality and espouses classical ideals.
  • Language
    LANGUAGE
    Is this the way I want my child to speak?
    Ratings are based on a book's vocabulary, cadence, and overall eloquence suited to age level.
  • Story
    STORY
    Does this story resonate with my child?
    Ratings are based on the integrity of plot structure, the depth of characters, the palpability of the book's conflict and resolution, and the lure of its setting.
  • Beauty
    BEAUTY
    Does this book develop my child's ability to recognize beauty?
    Ratings are based on aesthetics, linguistic beauty, poignancy, and how well a book embodies ihsan—harmonizing excellence.
VIEW FLAGS
Mindful Muslim Review

Absurd and hilarious, this story features a  protagonist who embodies responsibility, courage, hard work and resilience in her journey to find her lost cow.

Teaching Tools
  • There is brief mention of a male wearing earrings (p.30). It is important for children to distinguish when jewelry is worn by men as part of their ancient culture as is the case here, as opposed to an imitation of the opposite gender. Our Prophet, the wisest of all human beings, cursed the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women. Our scholars have included our outward appearance i.e. dress as part of this category.
Ages: ,
Genres: ,
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: 2017
Page Count: 276
ISBN13: 9781596439580
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.

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