Mulla Nasruddin is a foolish man who is also known to be very clever sometimes.Taylor and the U.K.'s Khayaal Theatre invite readers to meet the Middle Eastern Muslim folk character Nasruddin, also revealing that he is known by other names and plays many roles. In these 21 short tales, he appears as a husband, a neighbor, an imam, a young student, and more. One tale reveals an amusing, clever young Nasruddin falling asleep in class and failing to complete the assignment, a picture. When he shows his teacher a blank paper, he says, "I drew a donkey eating grass," claiming the grass was eaten by the donkey and "There was no more grass….So the donkey left!" In another, Nasruddin climbs into the bed of a robber who broke into his house and stole his furniture: "I thought we were moving to your house," he says blandly. Readers learn: why, when begging, Nasruddin takes a silver coin rather than a gold one and why, as an imam, he leaves the mosque without giving a sermon. In Adl's illustrations, Nasruddin has a long white cottony beard and wears a turban. Her use of electric-bright colors (orange, green, yellow, blue) exemplifies Nasruddin's eccentricity, while photocollaged textures add further interest. A short glossary is included, but sources are not.These tales, full of jokes and wisdom, demonstrate why the wise fool is a perennially appealing character. (Folktales. 7-10)

Is he a wise man or a fool? Though Nasruddin has many different names, the trickster about whom these stories are told is known throughout the Muslim world. Taylor (The Snowbear) and the U.K.-based Khayaal Theatre recount each story in a page or two. In the first, after a thief absconds with Nasruddin-s worldly goods, Nasruddin trails him all the way home and climbs into his bed. The thief asks him what he-s doing--I thought we were moving to your house,- Nasruddin replies. In another, a begging Nasruddin takes big silver coins in preference to smaller gold coins, though they-re less valuable: -If I choose the gold coin,- he explains, -everyone will stop giving me money.- Diorama-like miniature sets by artist Adl (Mabrook! A World of Muslim Weddings) breathe energy and humor into the tales. The marketplace where Nasruddin begs features hand-formed copper pots, miniature bags of grain, and carpets that appear hand-embroidered. The paper cutout figures wear antic expressions and costumes of cut-out fabric. Young listeners will quickly grasp that often, it-s Nasruddin-s companions who might be the fools. A glossary of terms (Allah, imam) is included. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)