Arabic / Jordan
Qiṭā šqui ǧaddan
(Qita shqui jiddan)
(The naughty tomcat)
Ṭāhir, ʿAbīr at-
(Taher, Abeer al-)
(text)
Fadāwī, Māyā
(Fadawi, Maya)
(illus.)
[ʻAmmān]: Dār al-Yāsmīn (Dar al-Yasmine), 2014. – [38] p.
ISBN 978-9957-86665-2-5
Friendship | Acceptance | Faithfulness | Picture book
Reading age: 4+
White Ravens issue: 2016
This picture book shows what it is like to be torn between closeness and distance, companionship and loneliness, rejection and acceptance. After an elderly man picks up a miserable tomcat in the street and takes him home, the two of them initially have a great time together. They eat, watch television, and even sleep in the same bed – until one day, the cat becomes too impertinent. The old man tries to get rid of him, but in vain. Whether abandoned at the neighbour’s or the butcher’s, the cat returns each time. A long journey by bus, train, and ship to the chilly South Pole is supposed to solve the problem once and for all. Yet, when the man reaches the final destination at the end of the world, he simply doesn’t have the heart to desert the tomcat. He says “Let’s go home” and gathers him in his arms. Maya Fadawi has created lively colour pictures to accompany the humorous and touching story. They perfectly visualise the changeable relationship between the two protagonists.