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The Girl Who Lost Her Smile

by Karim Alrawi

illustrated by Stefan Czernecki
An image from 'The Girl Who Lost Her Smile'

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Description

In the wonderous city of Baghdad lives a young girl called Jehan. One morning, Jehan wakes and sees that her smile is lost. She looks everywhere. Jugglers and fire-eaters come to help her find it. Artists paint murals on the walls of her room. They all try their hardest to entertain Jehan, but still, she cannot find her smile. Derived from a collection of Middle Eastern stories, The Girl Who Lost Her Smile is a simple tale about uncovering life's hidden beauty.

Themes: multicultural, Middle East, Sufi-tale, folktale

Awards

  • Winner of the Parent's Magazine Gold Award 2002
  • Finalist for the Kentucky Book Award (Kentucky Students' Choice) 2002

Reviews

“Infused with a gentle spirit, illustrated with arresting artwork, this is a tale rich with meaning for readers of any age.” Children's Book Center

“When a young girl in Baghdad stops smiling, the sun stops shining, so her father, the townspeople, and a hoopoe bird try their best to find something that will amuse her, to no avail … the simple illustrations, which use flat color and a bold, clean line, are lively and interesting.” The Horn Book Guide

Author Biography

Karim Alrawi was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. He has over 30 professionally produced plays to his credit and has won many national and international awards for his writing, including the prestigious John Whiting Award. He was writer-in-residence at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in the UK and at the Meadow Brook Theatre in the USA. He has also supervised international aid and development programs in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Karim now lives in Vancouver, BC.

Illustrator Biography

Stefan Czernecki was born in a refugee camp in Germany and now lives in a small glass apartment one hundred and fifty feet above the ground. For inspiration he travels to faraway places like Tokyo, Mexico City, New York and Marrakesh. Sometimes he just takes a walk around the block. A number of his books are inspired by folk art and set in other countries. He won the Aesop Accolade, the American Folklore Society Award, in 1997.