ŷ������

The 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.