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Day of Ahmed's Secret
As young Ahmed delivers butane gas to customers all over the city of Cairo, he thinks, I have a secret. All day long, as he maneuvers his donkey car through streets crowded with cars and camels, down alleys filled with merchants stalls, and past buildings a thousand years old, Ahmed keeps his secret safe insides. It is so special, so wonderful, that he can reveal it only t...more
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
April 25th 1995
by HarperCollins
(first published August 28th 1990)
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I came across this book during my second placement and I find it a very stimulating resource for descriptive writing. The beautifully colourful and vivid pictures in the book can be used for creating descriptive word banks; you can also explore the pictures to make the children come up with similes and metaphors which they don’t use very often in their writing. Furthermore, it’s very easy to arrange a drama/ role-play activity based on the book as all you need to do is to gather some bowls and s...more
This did not end at all as I had imagined. In fact, it took so long to get to Ahmed's actual secret that I almost forgot what the story was about. Although the illustrations were quite vibrant and lively, the text in this story did not quite measure up. I really enjoyed how many colors were used and how crowded each page looked, allowing the watercolors to bleed into one another and capture the entire scene. However, for such vivid and busy illustrations, I had expected equally intense and capti...more
Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence H. Parry, Judith Heide Gilliland, illustrated by Ted Lewin follows a young boy delivering butane gas to customers in his city, as he saves a special secret to share with his family in the evening.
Lewin's detailed watercolor illustrations show the hustle and bustle of Cairo, Egypt. One and two pages spreads focus on Ahmed, his customers and the city. My favorite images are crowded streets, sounds, Hassan's treat, old woman, caravan, rosewater man, and last three...more
Lewin's detailed watercolor illustrations show the hustle and bustle of Cairo, Egypt. One and two pages spreads focus on Ahmed, his customers and the city. My favorite images are crowded streets, sounds, Hassan's treat, old woman, caravan, rosewater man, and last three...more
"The Day of Ahmed's Secret" is a great story about a little boy named Ahmed. He lives in the city of Cairo and works as a butagaz boy. He takes the reader on a journey throughout his day, but he has a little secret to tell. He wants to tell his family the secret when he gets home. He explains the many ways that the city is a part of who he is. After he gets home, he shows his parents that he can write his name!(His secret).
As a teacher, I could use this book to teach about predicitons by using...more
As a teacher, I could use this book to teach about predicitons by using...more
Such a lovely and sweet book.
The illustrations - paintings rather - are striking. They capture our eternal city beautifully through the colours, the details and the expressions of people's faces. It looks at Cairo through the eyes of a little boy. You don't see the struggle - only pride at working and helping his family; you don't hear noise - only sounds; you don't see chaos - only colours; and a long deep-rooted history that spans centuries.
A book I would strongly recommend to anyone who has...more
The illustrations - paintings rather - are striking. They capture our eternal city beautifully through the colours, the details and the expressions of people's faces. It looks at Cairo through the eyes of a little boy. You don't see the struggle - only pride at working and helping his family; you don't hear noise - only sounds; you don't see chaos - only colours; and a long deep-rooted history that spans centuries.
A book I would strongly recommend to anyone who has...more
I loved the art and the peek at a day in the life of Ahmed and the market of Cairo. I thought the colors were beautiful and made me feel like I could see the sights that Ahmed sees. The story was OK, I appreciated Ahmed's secret and his journey through his day but agree that it might not be a great read aloud for younger listeners. Beautiful, though!
This book was extremely long and would not be appropriate for a read aloud. Carrying this secret around with him for the entire day that he can write is the majority of the story. The only positive thing is that it displays a different culture than what some kids are used to.
Fun realistic story about Ahmed, a modern day and boy apprenticing for his father. The illustrations are really amazing and bring Cairo to life realistically. Wonderful addition to any children's library.
The perspective of a young child working and his secret , which keeps reader wanting to know what the secret is. He can write his name. The book allows kids to see what it is like in another culture.
A great book about a young child that has a secret. Although he works all day, he comes home excited because he has learned how to write his name! A great story of perserverance.
This is a good story of another culture, though there is a degree of child labor that is a bit hard to take. It's a good story all the same though.
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Beautiful illustrations and very discriptive language, but a little boring.
Love the celebration of education.
A very beautiful story
PBWR Session 9
v. nice art
This book follows young Ahmed through the city as he does he daily work. It depicts the pride that Ahmed has for what he does and who he is as well as what life is like in Cairo. As I read the story, I enjoyed it but felt no strong reaction to it but found myself curious what his secret was. Turning to the page that shows Ahmed revealing his secret brought a huge smile to my face. It's a touching story that could open the door to great discussion with older elementary/intermediate students.
Young Amhed takes readers along with him while he completes his chores in the city of Cairo. Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland collaborate to share this charming story of a young child’s connection to his city and the people. Along with the colorful but soft watercolors by Ted Lewin and the noises that Ahmed describes “the sound my cart makes: Karink, rink, rink “the reader is pulled into Ahmed’s city and is delighted when he reveals his secret - he can write his name.
This book is interesting but probably too difficult for a young child to read but,nonetheless can be understood when read to. It catches your suspense to find out what the boy secret is and then it turns out to be something so basic. It reminds us how one can feel when a goal is accomplished. Reinforces that anything is possible and lifts the spirit.
This is a picture book that I loved reading to Jane. It has beautiful watercolor paintings as illustrations of Cairo, Egypt. It allows you to follow a boy during his day and experiences. It also promotes literacy.
I like this book because it has very good illustrations and it is well written. I enjoy it because I've been to Egypt and it's very cool to learn about how some children have their day. It's very interesting.
The watercolors in this book are very nice. I like the introduction to another culture as well although children might develop some misconceptions about life in the Middle East.
"look, I can write my name. I think of my name now lasting longer than the sound of it, maybe even lasting, like the old buildings in the city, a thousand years."
Ahmed, a young boy, is excited to share his secret with his family. Set in Cairo, we see the hustle and bustle of the city in the vibrant illustrations.
beautiful prose, illustrations, and message. I used this for a lesson on QARs and questioning for comprehension.
thanx 4 dr.njood who always openes new doors 4 me.. i loved the book
Jun 23, 2008
Keli Wright
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Keli by:
saw it the Preston DI
cute picture book about a little boy in Cairo and his day
a good story about questioning
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Feb 20, 2009 07:06pm