The Girl who Lost her Smile

_{by Karim Alrawi, illustrated by Stefan Czernecki}

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 Islamic stories The Girl Who Lost Her Smile is a simple folktale about uncovering life's hidden beauty.

Reviews

“Infused with a gentle spirit, illustrated with arresting artwork, this is a tale rich with meaning for readers of any age.” — July 2001 Children's Book Center, New York.

“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, 4/1/2001

Author Biography

Karim Alrawi is the editor-in-chief of Arabica, the major English language magazine for the Arab-American community. He is also Playwright in Residence at Meadow Brook Theatre in Michigan. He has over 30 professionally produced plays to his credit and has won many national and international awards for his writing. Mr. Alrawi was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, and has since lived in England, Canada and the United States.

Illustrator Biography

Stefan Czernecki lives in Vancouver but has traveled all over the world. His work reflects his global outlook, as he draws his artistic inspiration from the folk art of the countries he has visited. Stefan is the illustrator of many titles, including Paper Lanterns, The Singing Snake, The Sleeping Bread, Mr. Belinsky's Bagels and Mama God, Papa God. He has been honoured with the 1997 Aesop Accolade of the Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society for his book The Cricket's Cage: A Chinese Folktale.