"A brilliant tapestry woven not of yarn but of stories, both fresh and faithful to its historical roots." — Kirkus Starred Review

"The supplemental educational content, including a map of the ancient Arab world and notes on Napoli’s approach to her skilled retellings, allows for a deeper understanding of these stories and their significance within a larger cultural context." — Publishers Weekly

"As a collection, the book straddles the line between pleasure reading—enhanced by the vibrant and highly stylized artwork—and a scholarly source, complete with sidebars, maps of the ancient Arab world, and additional sources for those interested in further pursuit." — Booklist

"A generation raised on Disney films will recognize some of the tales, and the sheer power of the storytelling will sweep them along through the rest... And really, it simply isn’t possible to beat the sheer drama of the high-stakes premise of this important literary treasure... This is a must-have for collections and young readers everywhere." — The Booklist Reader

"Highly recommended, especially for private browsing and public library collections." — Midwest Book Review


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★ Aug. 30, 2016
Forty-five (compressed from the original 1,001) nights of interwoven stories map Scheherazade’s courageous campaign to heal the heart of her murderous and disillusioned husband—and save her own life in the bargain.Drawn from authoritative sources and retold in plain (and, aside from references to the Almighty, nonreligious) language, the selections are arranged in several sequences of nights, with “extras” interposed and interludes that set up and flesh out the frame story. Brave and clever women stand out in these versions, notably Ali Baba’s wife, Marjana, the princess who marries Maaruf the Cobbler (and Maaruf’s comically abusive first wife, Dung Fatima)—and especially Scheherazade herself, who over the many nights, any one of which could be her last, presents Shah Rayar with three children as well as tantalizingly strung-out adventures featuring moral quandaries, decisions wise and foolish, reversals of fortune, love, and wisdom’s growth. Overall, Napoli sees the Arabian Nights as more “optimistic” than the Greek, Norse, or ancient Egyptian mythologies she has explored in previous collections in this series: “There is a strong sense that good behavior will lead to good results and that the world is basically a lot more delightful than it is frightful.” Balit whirls bright patterns around stylized figures to add notes of grandeur to each tale. Faces are light-skinned, but she does add hints of regional features and dress for stories set in “China” or “the Indies.” A brilliant tapestry woven not of yarn but of stories, both fresh and faithful to its historical roots. (introduction, index, extensive source notes) (Folk tales. 10-14)