Unwrapping
THE JASMINE SNEEZE
Written and illustrated by Nadine Kaadan
Ages: 3-8
Grade Levels: PS+
Reviews to shed more light
‘A charming tale of a naughty kitty who learns a valuable lesson. Kaadan illustrates this whimsical tale with bright, bold colors of pink, blue, and green, and plenty of adorable goggle eyes. Great for reading out loud, and not a bad choice for multicultural reading.” — Rosie Camargo, ALA Booklist Online
‘An amiable folktale set in Syria and suitable for one-on-one and small group sharing. The fluffy, fat cat with pop eyes is endearing, and Kaadan’s droll cartoons are infused in rich colors and patterns.’ – The School Library Journal
‘The Jasmine Sneeze is magically drawn and written by the brilliant Nadine Kaadan, capturing the true essence of Damascus through its mystical relationship with two of its longest standing residents, cats and jasmine. The smile of Damascus children is still there, still wide and gleaming, still visible to the rest of the world, despite all that’s happening in the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth.’ – Sami Moubayed, The Damascus History Foundation
Some great illustrations for you to enjoy
About the book
Haroun, the buggy-eyed cat, loves nothing better than to laze and sleep in the warm sunlit courtyards of Damascus. What a lucky guy he is. But pampered Haroun has a problem, one that causes him great anguish. The beautiful fragrance of the jasmine flowers continually keeps him awake. They cause him to sneeze non-stop and he's had enough. It's time for him to attack that glorious smell and grant himself some peace.
He decides he knows exactly how to eradicate this problem. He takes it upon himself to be the exterminator of this beautiful aroma, loved by so many, that wafts through the airwaves non-stop. Unbeknownst to him the Jasmine Spirit is watching his every move and she is not pleased. She counter-attacks his feline efforts in a very fitting and funny way. Did Haroun learn his lesson and will things be restored and get back to normal? Who wins the battle of keeping custody of that heavenly jasmine scent in Damascus?
The illustrations are expressive and the colour pallet is vibrant and colourful. Haroun, although a bit naughty, is a very lovable little character. The author has included educational information about jasmine and Damascus for older readers to absorb. I would suggest that this book be included in a classroom or school library setting. It's great to introduce kids to countries like Syria and let them observe it apart from all the negativity that surrounds this proud country today. I highly recommend this book.
Storywraps Rating - 5 HUGS!!!!!
Introducing the author/illustrator
Since the age of 8, Nadine Kaadan hasn’t stopped writing and illustrating children’s books - she simply knew that it was her calling in life. She started distributing her first fairy tales to her 5th grade class mates, and 20 years later she is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator, whose mission it is to spread reading culture in the Arab world, in a way that is inspired by Syria’s rich heritage.
Nadine has published over 15 books in the Arab region with various publishers, and believes that children’s books are the most creative and effective tool to convey interesting and relevant ideas to young readers. Her stories sometimes touch on delicate subjects like children with special needs, or like the current troubled situation in the Arab world, and other times they are just plain fun.
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