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الغول
قصة مشوقة تشد الطفل وتساعده على مواجهة مخاوفه من المجهول
تحكي عن صبي أسمه حسن قرر أن يكتشف بنفسه حقيقة الغول الذي أرعب أهل القرية. فتبين له أن الغول كان يخاف من أهل القرية كما كانوا يخافونه وبفضل شجاعة حسن وإقدامه إستطاع أن يعرف حقيقة الغول فاصبح الغول صديقا له ولأهل القرية.
تحكي عن صبي أسمه حسن قرر أن يكتشف بنفسه حقيقة الغول الذي أرعب أهل القرية. فتبين له أن الغول كان يخاف من أهل القرية كما كانوا يخافونه وبفضل شجاعة حسن وإقدامه إستطاع أن يعرف حقيقة الغول فاصبح الغول صديقا له ولأهل القرية.
23 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
2 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
تغريد النجار
66books134followersتغريد عارف النجار
حصلت الكاتبة تغريد النجار على شهادة البكالوريس في الأدب الأنكليزي ودبلوم تربية وعلم النفس من الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت. عملت في مجال التعليم لعدة سنوات ثم انتقلت إلى مركز هيا الثقافي لتدير قسم النشر وأنشطة المراكز ومن خلال عملها مع الأطفال اكتشفت تغريد مدى الحاجة لكتب ممتعة وشيقة وموجهة للأطفال في المراحل العمرية المبكرة.
وبدأت تحقق حلماً كان يراودها منذ الصغر وهي الكتابة للأطفال. نشرت حتى الآن 32 قصة مصورة للأطفال. ترجمت إحداها " من خبأ خروف العيد؟ " إلى اللغة الانكليزية ونشرت في مجلة World Literature Today
,قد حولت قصة " الغول" إلى قصة رسوم متحركة من خلال برنامج " شارع سمسسم" وتستخدم الكثير من المدارس قصص دار السلوى كتب مرافقة للمنهاج من خلال برنامج " دعم" وقد تفرغت تغريد للكتابة والنشر وأسست دار السلوى للدراسات والنشر في عام 1995 وهي الآن تدير الدار وتقوم بورشات عمل مختصة في عالم الطفولة والكتاب
حصلت الكاتبة تغريد النجار على شهادة البكالوريس في الأدب الأنكليزي ودبلوم تربية وعلم النفس من الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت. عملت في مجال التعليم لعدة سنوات ثم انتقلت إلى مركز هيا الثقافي لتدير قسم النشر وأنشطة المراكز ومن خلال عملها مع الأطفال اكتشفت تغريد مدى الحاجة لكتب ممتعة وشيقة وموجهة للأطفال في المراحل العمرية المبكرة.
وبدأت تحقق حلماً كان يراودها منذ الصغر وهي الكتابة للأطفال. نشرت حتى الآن 32 قصة مصورة للأطفال. ترجمت إحداها " من خبأ خروف العيد؟ " إلى اللغة الانكليزية ونشرت في مجلة World Literature Today
,قد حولت قصة " الغول" إلى قصة رسوم متحركة من خلال برنامج " شارع سمسسم" وتستخدم الكثير من المدارس قصص دار السلوى كتب مرافقة للمنهاج من خلال برنامج " دعم" وقد تفرغت تغريد للكتابة والنشر وأسست دار السلوى للدراسات والنشر في عام 1995 وهي الآن تدير الدار وتقوم بورشات عمل مختصة في عالم الطفولة والكتاب
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 27, 2021
A young boy named Hasan grows tired of the restrictions put upon him and the other children of his village in this Jordanian picture-book, and begins to question the adults about the fearsome ghoul said to live on the nearby mountaintop. Determined not to be afraid, he announces that he will travel to the mountaintop and confront the ghoul, but when he finally reaches his destination, he makes a surprise discovery: this supposed monster is ...
Originally published in Arabic as الغول, and translated into English this past year (2020) for the Northampton, Massachusetts-based publisher, Crocodile Books, The Ghoul is the third picture-book I have read from author Taghreed Najjar, after her and . She is the first Jordanian children's author I have encountered, and I'm glad her work is being translated into English. The story here is engaging, and explores the classic themes of fear and prejudice, as the people in Hasan's village shun the ghoul, believing every bad story they have heard of him, despite never having had any interaction with him themselves. The resolution of the story offers a hopeful answer to this situation, suggesting that people of different backgrounds can learn to become friends, if they give one another a chance. The accompanying artwork from Hassan Manasra, who apparently has a background in animated film, is quite expressive, ably capturing the emotional state of the various characters. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about intercommunity friendship and tolerance, or for children's books from Jordan and/or the wider Arab world.
Originally published in Arabic as الغول, and translated into English this past year (2020) for the Northampton, Massachusetts-based publisher, Crocodile Books, The Ghoul is the third picture-book I have read from author Taghreed Najjar, after her and . She is the first Jordanian children's author I have encountered, and I'm glad her work is being translated into English. The story here is engaging, and explores the classic themes of fear and prejudice, as the people in Hasan's village shun the ghoul, believing every bad story they have heard of him, despite never having had any interaction with him themselves. The resolution of the story offers a hopeful answer to this situation, suggesting that people of different backgrounds can learn to become friends, if they give one another a chance. The accompanying artwork from Hassan Manasra, who apparently has a background in animated film, is quite expressive, ably capturing the emotional state of the various characters. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about intercommunity friendship and tolerance, or for children's books from Jordan and/or the wider Arab world.
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October 16, 2021The book “The Ghoul� is written by Taghreed Najjar and illustrated by Hassan Manasra. It was written in Arabic and translated to English. Hassan, a brave young boy, and his community live in “constant fear� of the� Ghoul� who lives atop the mountain. The sheer mention of the Ghoul makes them panic and keeps them on constant edge. Villagers whisper so they do not disturb the Ghoul. They try not to laugh too loud. The Ghoul changes the way they exist in their world. Hassan starts to question why people are afraid of the Ghoul and he asks his parents about what he has done to make them live with this kind of fear. His parents reiterate why Hassan should be scared but it does not satisfy Hassan. He wants to live and laugh without fear. He decides he will seek out this monster for himself. Some villagers supported Hassan’s brave journey to face the Ghoul and others lamented the impending doom. Hassan made it to the top of the mountain and did not find anything that made him afraid. He actually loved the view from the top of the mountain. Then, he found himself “face-to-face� with the Ghoul, who looked exactly like the villagers� physical descriptions. To Hassan’s surprise, the Ghoul ran away from him! Hassan realized that the villagers and the Ghoul share the same misguided fear. Hassan accepts their differences and starts to form a friendship.
This book is engaging and the illustrations are soft and expressive. The book addresses broader themes of the terrible effects of fear and prejudice on communities. The book has a traditional message about not only accepting differences but celebrating them. This book can teach children to explore and question things that make them afraid or uneasy. Students can be empowered by Hassan’s choice to face his fears. This book would be a good addition to a folktale unit and used to teach overcoming false assumptions. Since it is a story that has some fantasy elements, students would need scaffolding to connect this to their own lives and potential prejudices that they currently hold.
I found this book on the Middle East Outreach Council website listed under the Middle East Book Award list. It can be listened to via Youtube or purchased as a hard copy.
This book is engaging and the illustrations are soft and expressive. The book addresses broader themes of the terrible effects of fear and prejudice on communities. The book has a traditional message about not only accepting differences but celebrating them. This book can teach children to explore and question things that make them afraid or uneasy. Students can be empowered by Hassan’s choice to face his fears. This book would be a good addition to a folktale unit and used to teach overcoming false assumptions. Since it is a story that has some fantasy elements, students would need scaffolding to connect this to their own lives and potential prejudices that they currently hold.
I found this book on the Middle East Outreach Council website listed under the Middle East Book Award list. It can be listened to via Youtube or purchased as a hard copy.
February 18, 2021
Inspired by Arabic folk tales, this is a story about a young boy, Hasan, who decides to not only face his fears but also accept and welcome differences. In doing so he not only challenges his village's perception of an outsider but also of the outsider's sense of self worth.
Set within a peaceful village 'on the slopes of the Mountain of Mountains', Najjar and Manasra's tale begins with us finding out that the residents lead happy lives save for the fear of the Ghoul which lives atop the mountain. His menacing presence threatens the inhabitants as do the fearful stories about his actions and his taste for humans. Hasan though is an inquisitive young boy and, much to his parents' horror, decides that since much of what he hears about the Ghoul seems based on hearsay to take his chances and seek the monster out.
Much to his surprise he finds that both the villagers' fears and that of the Ghoul's are similar - whilst remaining deeply false. What ensues is a lovely close to this delightful picturebook. Translated from Arabic by Michel Mousabeck, this Jordanian import introduces important social themes about stereotypes and segregation with a traditional tale backdrop. I thoroughly enjoyed Manasra's soft illustrations.
Set within a peaceful village 'on the slopes of the Mountain of Mountains', Najjar and Manasra's tale begins with us finding out that the residents lead happy lives save for the fear of the Ghoul which lives atop the mountain. His menacing presence threatens the inhabitants as do the fearful stories about his actions and his taste for humans. Hasan though is an inquisitive young boy and, much to his parents' horror, decides that since much of what he hears about the Ghoul seems based on hearsay to take his chances and seek the monster out.
Much to his surprise he finds that both the villagers' fears and that of the Ghoul's are similar - whilst remaining deeply false. What ensues is a lovely close to this delightful picturebook. Translated from Arabic by Michel Mousabeck, this Jordanian import introduces important social themes about stereotypes and segregation with a traditional tale backdrop. I thoroughly enjoyed Manasra's soft illustrations.
July 9, 2021
I positively LOVE all the different "boogeyman" stories from around the world. The fact that every culture has some monster who eats naughty children suggests that kids have ALWAYS behaved like this. It has nothing to do with modern parents actually treating them like human beings.
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March 19, 2016 نحن نؤمن بأهمية إعادة سرد القصص التراثية لتخدم أدب الطفل العربي وذلك باستخدام رموز القصة التراثية لعرض قصص ذات مفاهيم تربوية حديثة وهذا تماما ما نقوم به في قصة " الغول". وقصة "الغول" التي كتبتها تغريد النجار ورسمها حسن مناصرة تستخدم الغول للحديث عن الكيفية التي ننظر بها إلى الناس والمخلوقات الذين يختلفون عنا وكيف يمكن أن نبني مخاوفنا ونطلق الأحكام المسبقة على افتراضات خاطئة. تدور أحداث القصة حول قرية أصبحت الحياة فيها مشلولة بسبب الخوف من الغول الذي يعيش على قمة الجبل المشرف عليها. هذا الغول لم يشاهده أحد ولم يؤذ أحدًا قط، ولكن الناس مرعوبون منه، ويمشون على رؤوس أصابعهم ويتهامسون حتى لا يعكروا صفو الغول المخيف. حسن هو الفتى الذي سئم من هذا الخوف وقرر أن يتحقق من الغول بنفسه ويحرر القرويين من الخوف الذي سيطر على حياتهم.
عن صفحة الناشر " السلوى للدراسات والنشر
عن صفحة الناشر " السلوى للدراسات والنشر
March 1, 2021
Hasan's community lives in fear of the ghoul on the mountain. They live stifled, quiet lives so as not to disturb the fearsome, child-eating monster. Hasan comes to the conclusion that he needs to learn more about this monstrous creature.
I liked the message, the story, and the illustrations. Many elements reminded me of , which got a little deeper into the selfishness of the villagers as opposed to fear. But both books hit on elements of community that take team loyalty and anti-outsider sentiment to extremes. Both make the point that societies are better, stronger, healthier, kinder when we open them up to outsiders.
I liked the message, the story, and the illustrations. Many elements reminded me of , which got a little deeper into the selfishness of the villagers as opposed to fear. But both books hit on elements of community that take team loyalty and anti-outsider sentiment to extremes. Both make the point that societies are better, stronger, healthier, kinder when we open them up to outsiders.
August 4, 2021
Hasan the brave is a boy who lives in a small village, where everyone is afraid of the ghoul that lives at the top of the mountain. the older adults tell the kids shhhh! be quiet or the ghoul will come down and eat all of you. hasan decides to go up the mountain to see the ghoul for himself. he wants to laugh and yell and play freely. the ghoul is afraid of hasan. they become friends in spite of their differences.
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December 2, 2020The inside flap said it best: "The Ghoul is a beautifully illustrated story that can be used as a spring board to discuss how we perceive those who are different and how our fears and prejudices may be built on false assumptions." Very good book.
December 8, 2020
An Arabic folktale about a young boy who faces the village nemesis and discovers that in letting our fears control our actions, we miss out on wonderful relationships and experiences. Pretty standard fare as far as the originality of the story and the illustrations weren't memorable.
June 19, 2021
Delightful story with folktale appeal. Would make great read aloud. Wish there was a little more backstory about setting and inspiration. Love the messages about courage, looking assumptions in the face and overcoming prejudice
February 27, 2024
The main character of the story, Hassan goes to check out the ghoul everyone is afraid of. Of course, the ghoul ends up being different than how everyone thinks he is. I think I'm getting sick of reading folk and fairy tales.
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April 14, 2021A sweet story about the dangers of preconceived notions.
August 8, 2023
That's right, don't make assumptions about someone you haven't seen or experienced.
September 30, 2023
Translated Children's Books Month! Book 35/50 (Arabic)
January 23, 2024
So, this is a picture book for younger kids that I picked to read for the 6 year olds, the 7 year olds and the special education kids/teens.
I picked it because I thought the artwork on each page is quite beautiful and expressive. And the story deals subtly and cleverly with rumor-spreading and friendship. Also! Bonus! It’s an arabic fairy tale! Translated, obviously, but still! There’s so many western fairy tales, it was lovely to find something else to read for the kids since I have quite a few refugee kids at the school I work at.
So all in all it was just a lovely little book all around! Truly recommend it for everyone that deals with kids in any way whatsoever!
I picked it because I thought the artwork on each page is quite beautiful and expressive. And the story deals subtly and cleverly with rumor-spreading and friendship. Also! Bonus! It’s an arabic fairy tale! Translated, obviously, but still! There’s so many western fairy tales, it was lovely to find something else to read for the kids since I have quite a few refugee kids at the school I work at.
So all in all it was just a lovely little book all around! Truly recommend it for everyone that deals with kids in any way whatsoever!
July 3, 2022
Thank you Edelweiss for an advanced copy. This is a short, cute picture book that is easy to read. The illustrations are great, too. The characters are Muslim, but it’s not a religious book. The themes of bravery, intelligence, and differences between us can all be discussed. I would definitely purchase this for our younger elementary classroom libraries, and this would make a great read aloud.
August 16, 2023
There are countless books teaching the acceptance of differences, so how do you choose which one to read? You pick one with a well-written story and soulful illustrations. You pick one whose characters you'll remember and whose plot offers interest. You pick one with artisitic and linguistic value. And you pick one that is not too heavy handed with its message. In short, you pick The Ghoul.
March 24, 2023
Hasan is tired of living in fear from a ghoul everyone in the village is afraid of. He sets of to find the ghoul and it turns out the ghoul is afraid of people but more importantly the ghoul is a vegetarian. So, the ghoul and the villagers learn to live in harmony thanks to the brave Hasan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2010
حسن الشجاع إكتشف سر الغول الذي يخافه كل أهالي القرية
النص ممتاز والإخراج أكثر من جيد
مناسبة لقراء المرحلة الإبتدائية
النص ممتاز والإخراج أكثر من جيد
مناسبة لقراء المرحلة الإبتدائية
March 17, 2020
استمتع أطفالي بقراءة هذه القصة ولقد كان ممتعا مشاهدة تعابير وجوههم وهي تتغير من الخوف من الغول إلى الابتهاج بكونه مخلوقا لطيفا بعد كل شيء.
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April 26, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
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