Cat Man of Aleppo
By: Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha ; illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Published: 2020
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 40
ISBN-13: 9781984813787
Copyright date: 2020
Subjects: Children's fiction
Description: "The Caldecott Honor-winning true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, who in the midst of the Syrian Civil War courageously offered safe haven to Aleppo's abandoned cats. Aleppo's city center no longer echoes with the rich, exciting sounds of copper-pot pounding and traditional sword sharpening. His neighborhood is empty except for the many cats left behind. Alaa loves Aleppo, but when war comes his neighbors flee to safety, leaving their many pets behind. Alaa decides to stay. He can make a difference by driving an ambulance, carrying the sick and wounded to safety. One day he hears hungry cats calling out to him on his way home. They are lonely and scared, just like him. He feeds and pets them to let them know they are loved. The next day more cats come, and then even more! There are too many for Alaa to take care of on his own. Alaa has a big heart, but he will need help from others if he wants to keep all of his new friends safe." -- Publisher.

"In the midst of the Syrian Civil War, Alaa takes care of Aleppo's abandoned cats."--
Notes: "Mohammed Alaa al-Jaleel runs Ernesto's Cat Sanctuary in Kfar Naha, an opposition-held town in Aleppo province in Syria. The 43-year-old al-Jaleel, who grew up in Aleppo, has been mad about cats since he was a boy. As the war raged in Syria and cat lovers fled the city, he was left with 170 cats to feed and a new nickname: the Cat Man of Aleppo." - Associated Press on AL.com.

"Shamshi-Basha is a native of Syria. The book tells the true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, who rescued abandoned cats in the city of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War in 2016." - Associated Press on AL.com.

Caldecott Honor, 2021.