Once Upon a Camel

by Kathi Appelt Narrated by Jackie Sanders

Overview

“A delight to the senses.” -Kirkus Reviews

Perfect for fans of The One and Only Ivan, this exquisite middle grade novel from Newbery Honoree and National Book Award finalist Kathi Appelt follows a creaky old camel out to save two baby kestrel chicks during a massive storm in the Texas desert-filled with over a dozen illustrations by Caldecott winner Eric Rohmann.

Zada is a camel with a treasure trove of stories to tell. She's won camel races for the royal Pasha of Smyrna, crossed treacherous oceans to new land, led army missions with her best camel friend by her side, and outsmarted a far too pompous mountain lion.

But those stories were from before. Now, Zada wanders the desert as the last camel in Texas. She's not, however, alone. Two tiny kestrel chicks are nestled in the fluff of fur between her ears-kee-killy-keeing for their missing parents-and a dust storm the size of a mountain is taking Zada on one more grand adventure. And it could lead to this achy old camel's most brilliant story yet.

Editorial Reviews

July 1, 2021 - Booklist STARRED Review

"An unconventional ode to the beauty of found families and the power in our stories."

August 9, 2021

"Appelt’s celebration of owning one’s history proves both empowering and entertaining."Weekly

July 15, 2021 - Kirkus Reviews

"Hearts will grow fond of this wise old camel; she is a bright star."

August 9, 2021 - Publisher Weekly

"Appelt’s celebration of owning one’s history proves both empowering and entertaining."

Kirkus Reviews

2021-06-29
How does one entertain two baby kestrels in the middle of a West Texas dust storm? With camel stories, of course.

Like her namesake Scheherazade, elderly camel Zada has many stories to tell from her adventurous life. It’s 1910, and she has charge of Wims and Beulah, two baby kestrels whose parents have vanished in a vicious dust storm. The threesome shelter in an empty mountain lion’s cave, waiting for safety. Zada hopes to get the chicks to the safe meeting place chosen by their parents just before a dust devil snatched them away. The evocative language is spellbinding as tales from Zada’s life calm the baby birds—and capture the interest of readers as well. The fledglings learn that Zada was raised by a Turkish pasha and gifted with eight other prized racing camels to the U.S. Army in 1856, ending up in Texas (events inspired by actual history). A delight to the senses, Zada’s stories are a descriptive wonder, featuring roiling dust, howling winds, fresh figs, and cool water, bolstering the emotions shown in Rohmann’s grayscale oil paintings. Readers will revel in both the vivid stories of Zada’s past and the rich vocabulary of Texas desert life. Appelt’s voice and pacing demonstrate her fine storytelling skills. Hearts will grow fond of this wise old camel; she is a bright star.

For the curious, the listeners, the adventurers, the caregivers, the young, and the old. (glossary, author’s note, sources) (Fiction. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173369420
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: Foothills, Chisos Mountains West Texas

1 Foothills, Chisos Mountains West Texas
1910

“Incoming!”

Even in her sleep, Zada recognized that voice.

The old camel raised one eyelid. It was still dark. There was at least an hour left before dawn. She did not recall setting an early alarm bird.

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