The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal
Channel: Hoopoe Books
Date: 2020-02-24

The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal
By Idries Shah
Illustrated by Rose Mary Santiago
Ages: 3–8

ISBN: 978-1-883536-18-3 (hardback) $18.00
ISBN: 978-1-942698-23-4 (paperback) $9.99
32 pages

When a boy visits another village, he is amazed to find the townspeople terrified of something that—just because they have not seen it before—they mistake for a terrible, dangerous animal. With his own knowledge and by demonstration, he helps them overcome their fears.

Rose Mary Santiago’s illustrations accentuate the surprise in this story in a clever way that will delight youngsters. This is the second book in this series illustrated by her, following the award-winning best seller, The Farmer’s Wife.

Chosen by the Library of Congress for their 2002 children’s holiday program.

“This entertaining folktale is part of an oral tradition from the Middle East and Central Asia. … The colorful and humorously rendered illustrations bring this story to life. A great choice for anyone looking for a fun folktale with a positive message.”—School Library Journal

“Beautiful, bold, full-color illustrations and a strong, clear moral lesson dominate the story about a boy who teaches a village not to fear something simply because they haven’t seen it before. It is a classic fable, one in which the boy becomes the ultimate teacher, first not to fear the ‘terribly dangerous animal’ and then what must be a ‘terribly dangerous boy’ for being able to ‘kill’ the ‘animal.’ The story allows children to laugh at how incredibly silly we all can be and think through whether it is wise to act out of fear or whether using your head and a little bit of courage is the right course.”—Elise Bellin, Wisconsin Muslim Journal