The Camel in the Sun
K-Gr 3—In stark descriptive language, Ondaatje eloquently retells a traditional Muslim hadith, chronicling the words and actions of Muhammad. For years, an uncomplaining camel carries loads of spices, dates, silver, and wool across the desert for the merchant Halim. The stoic beast endures unrelenting journeys, climbing steep dunes, wading through endless oceans of sand, and standing for hours under the hot sun. Oblivious to its plight and offering no sympathy, the merchant rides "on the camel's back as if he were floating over the desert on a bundle of valuable goods." The animal is weighed down by despair. It is certain that nothing will ever change until a fateful encounter in the city of Medina, the home of the Prophet. In one of the city's many gardens, Muhammad comes across the camel standing in the sun while its master naps comfortably in the shade. He immediately offers the sad creature a shoulder to cry on and reprimands the insensitive merchant, who at last sees their journey through the camel's eyes and tries to alleviate its suffering. Wolfsgruber's atmospheric monoprint illustrations deftly evoke the ancient desert society in which the camel and its master exist. The blazing heat is almost palpable in her arid desert landscapes executed in an appropriately dusty golden palette. For a cultural storyhour, pair this tale of compassion with Anita Ganeri's The Great Night Journey and Other Stories (QEB, 2007).—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA