Goha The Wise Fool
Starred Review. Grade 1-6–Goha, a folk character from the Middle East, is, by turns, a fool, a wise man, and a trickster in these 15 stories. Readers may find some tales familiar from other cultures, such as when Goha gets confused about whether he has 11 or 12 donkeys (depending on whether he is counting while astride or aside of one). Others are less well known, but equally entertaining, as in the tale of friends who try to convince Goha that they are expected for dinner. The protagonist turns the tables by selling their politely removed shoes to pay for the meal. An author's note describes the multiple countries laying claim to the character's origin and shows a photograph of the tentmakers in Cairo who designed and stitched the cloth illustrations, orkhiyamiyas, for this book. Colorful caricatures are appliquéd onto a sand-colored background resembling linen; there is one for each tale. The stories contain interesting cultural insights about a part of the world unknown to many in the Western Hemisphere, while yielding universal truths. Although there is a variety of curricular possibilities, children would undoubtedly enjoy comparing this folk hero to his cousins Jack, Anansi, Coyote, or Brer Rabbit. And as a guidebook to survival strategies for challenging situations, there is none better.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.