Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A highly humorous book about tradition in changing times, bravery, and love, imported from Germany.In this tale from Syrian-German author Schami, the old storyteller of Damascus used to carry a large, ornate chest on his back, with small holes in it through which children could peek to see scrolled pictures accompanying his stories. In one, he tells of Leyla, the beautiful daughter of a rich farmer, Sami the poor shepherd, and their enduring love in the face of all obstacles put forth by her father against their marriage. Sami manages to fend off robbers with his left hand while rescuing Leyla with his right; he scares lions with his left hand while milking a lioness with his right; and he is challenged to acquire Leyla's dowry of 300 camels from the herd of the sultan himself! German illustrator Knorr's jewel-toned illustrations are superbly detailed and sequenced artfully, the tale of Leyla and Sami organized in bordered panels to form an integral part of both plots. The happily-ever-after story of the two lovers always sounds fresh, but as time goes by, some of the images the storyteller uses fade away, and he replaces them with contemporary magazine clippings, playfully affecting the plot. Leyla becomes Colgate, who has "beautiful white teeth," Sami's donkey becomes a motorcycle, and he is helped at one point by a clown. The story goes on, becoming "weirder and weirder" as time goes on but still vital and wonderful.A writing, translation, and illustration masterpiece. (Picture book. 8-12)

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

A grown-up narrator looks back on his childhood in Damascus and the frequent visits from an old storyteller, who carried a wonder chest full of magical pictures on his back. The old man's stories evolve as, over time, his magical pictures disappeared and were replaced with advertisements from magazines. Evocative illustrations of the stories and Damascus city scenes enhance this nostalgic (German-import) picture book for older children.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A highly humorous book about tradition in changing times, bravery, and love, imported from Germany.In this tale from Syrian-German author Schami, the old storyteller of Damascus used to carry a large, ornate chest on his back, with small holes in it through which children could peek to see scrolled pictures accompanying his stories. In one, he tells of Leyla, the beautiful daughter of a rich farmer, Sami the poor shepherd, and their enduring love in the face of all obstacles put forth by her father against their marriage. Sami manages to fend off robbers with his left hand while rescuing Leyla with his right; he scares lions with his left hand while milking a lioness with his right; and he is challenged to acquire Leyla's dowry of 300 camels from the herd of the sultan himself! German illustrator Knorr's jewel-toned illustrations are superbly detailed and sequenced artfully, the tale of Leyla and Sami organized in bordered panels to form an integral part of both plots. The happily-ever-after story of the two lovers always sounds fresh, but as time goes by, some of the images the storyteller uses fade away, and he replaces them with contemporary magazine clippings, playfully affecting the plot. Leyla becomes Colgate, who has "beautiful white teeth," Sami's donkey becomes a motorcycle, and he is helped at one point by a clown. The story goes on, becoming "weirder and weirder" as time goes on but still vital and wonderful.A writing, translation, and illustration masterpiece. (Picture book. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

An anonymous young narrator recounts hearing a traveling storyteller-s tale of Sami, a determined shepherd who stands up to an angry father, bests gangsters, milks a lioness, and risks imprisonment to marry his true love, Leyla. The troubadour-s wonder chest reveals the story-s images to listening children; as they fade over time, he replaces them with modern advertisements, including toothpaste and car promotions. The beautiful Leyla becomes Colgate, the quest for Lioness Milk involves picking up a can at the -health food store across the street,- and the tale becomes -weirder and weirder, more and more unbelievable.- When the storyteller returns after a two-year absence, his chest -no longer had wands or picture rolls,- but the narrator still sees within it Sami, -a boy who was more beautiful than the moon and braver than a panther.- Rich, detailed art by Knorr showcases the story-s marked evolution and the storyteller-s magical box as Schami invites readers to explore the power of storytelling and change in this artful picture book. Ages 6-9. (Nov.)

School Library Journal (Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

Gr 1-3 "Many, many years ago, there lived an old man in the old city of Damascus," a storyteller whose tales came to life via a wonder box that he carries in a chest on his back. For only one piaster , children could see "the wonders of the world and brave Sami riding on a lion." Sami, as the children learned, was a young shepherd who accomplished nearly impossible tasks to win the hand of his beloved Leyla, the daughter of the village's richest farmer. Lush, expressive, and detailed illustrations unfold across the spreads or on carefully placed full, bordered pages. That is, until both the old storyteller and the images deteriorate with age. He replaces the faded pictures with ads from magazines and his story becomes weirder and weirder, more and more unbelievable. Although children may not recognize the specifics, they will certainly understand how the story has morphed into something quite different and gently humorous. Originally published in Germany, the German-Syrian author captures the flavor of a traditional tale that changes over time captured in text and illustration. VERDICT An intriguing and discussable exploration of storytelling for slightly older readers. Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library