البطيخة

by Taghreed Najjar, تغريد النجار, مايا فداوي (رسوم)

"تحب نورة البطيخ كثيراً. في يوم من الأيام تخبيء نورة بطيخة كبيرة تحت سريرها حتى تأكلها بعد أن ينام الجميع . ولكن شيئاً غريباً جداً يحدث في منتصف الليل . "

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Juvenile, Epic, Humor, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Taghreed Najjar is the founder of Al Salwa Publishing House. She is also a writer of children books and educational material related to story books. She works closely with schools and presents workshops for teachers and children. Many of her books have been adopted as supplementary readers by schools in the region.
Taghreed enjoys visiting schools for “meet the author” events and for story reading sessions of her latest books. She says, “It is an exhilarating experience interacting with my readers. I feel truly privileged to be a part of their childhood memories through my books.”
Some of her titles have been translated and published in English, Italian, Swedish, Turkish adn French.
Taghreed has travelled to many parts of the world to read her stories but now resides in Amman, Jordan with her family where she continues to write.
تعدّ تغريد النجار من رواد أدب الأطفال الحديث في الأردن. تخرجت من الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت عام 1973، وحصلت على بكالوريس أدب انجليزي ودبلوم في التربية والتعليم وتخصصت فرعيا بعلم النفس.
أول كتاب نشرته كان "صفوان البهلوان" عام 1978، وقد قامت بتأليفه وبتصميم رسوماته. بعد ذلك، نشرت لها "دار الفتى العربي" المشهورة في ذلك الوقت ثلاث قصص ثم قامت "المؤسسة العربية للدراسات والنشر" بنشر ست قصص لها.
عملت في سلك التعليم لعدة سنوات ثم عملت كمديرة لقسم النشر في مركز هيا الثقافي. في 1996 أسست تغريد النجار "دار السلوى للدراسات والنشر".
تكتب تغريد قصصًا مصورة موجهة إلى الفئة العمريّة الأولى 3+. وقد بدأت مؤخّرًا بكتابة روايات لليافعين، لاقت نجاحًا كبيرًا، واحتفى بها قرّاؤها على نطاق واسع، كما تم اعتمادها في المدارس كجزء من مناهجها الدراسية. تُرجم العديد من أعمالها إلى لغات أجنبية كالإنجليزية والسويدية والتركية ,والإيطالية. وقد فازت بعض كتبها بجوائز مهمة وأُدرج بعضها الآخر على اللوائح القصيرة لجوائز إقليمية،

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watermelon Madness: A Lesson in stubborn children who demand only one food.



I'll admit it. I also love watermelons. But notthis much



Six year old me can relate.



Her father wants her to eat molokhiya, their traditional cultural food. But nope, she just wants watermelon. Her mother explains she needs to eat molokhiya to get watermelon.



Things get a little trippy when Noura steals a watermelon and wants to eat it secretly. Nora opens a door into the watermelon, whichi is now giant.



Eventually Nora eats so much that she stops due to a stomach ache.



I really enjoyed the Mediterranean background of Noura and her family.



Conclusion
Watermelon madness is ultimately a sweet little story, but lacks any substance or direction. The book gets muddled, despite its intended moral lesson. It is quaint but ultimately forgettable, despite the inclusion of diversity.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watermelon Madness is all about a little girl named Noura who thinks watermelon is pretty much the best food ever. So much so that it's really the only food she wants to eat, much to her parents' dismay.

One night Noura tucks a whole watermelon under her bed to save it all for herself. This leads to a somewhat trippy (in the good way) dream wherein Noura tries to eat the entire watermelon by herself.



The dream turns bad and a tummy ache ensues. This helps Noura come to the understanding that all good things should be had in moderation. Adorable illustrations make this a fun little read with a gentle message.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chouette Publishing for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Heba · Rating 2 out of 5]

لا تحب البطيخ كثيراً....
قد تبتلعك إحداها ليلاً وأنت نائم 😁😁

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noura loved to eat watermelon, and nothing but watermelon. Despite the sincere attempts of her mama and baba (father) to get her to eat other things, she would only consume this one favorite food, even going so far as to steal a watermelon from the kitchen and hide it under her bed one night. Her plan to enjoy the entire watermelon by herself didn't quite turn out as she expected however, as a surreal and disturbing dream alerted her mother to the situation...

Originally published in Jordan as البطيخة (literally "watermelon"), Watermelon Madness is the first picture-book I have read from Jordanian author Taghreed Najjar, but the second from Lebanese illustrator Maya Fidawi, following upon Amina Hachimi Alaoui's Alya and the Three Cats . It is a cute book, one which addresses a common childhood problem - namely, the desire of some children to exclusively eat one favorite food substance - with humor. The artwork captures that humor, and is vibrantly colorful and expressive. The ending did feel rather abrupt to me - Noura's mother says they will discuss the dream, but the narrative simply moves on to Noura eating something other than watermelon, with no discussion - but leaving that aside, this is one I would recommend to picture-book readers looking for stories about children and their eating habits, or for children's books with a Middle Eastern cultural setting.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book. I read it in Arabic in like five minutes. Please clap.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little kiddo loves watermelon, to the point where refuses to eat other food and hides a watermelon under her bed. She dreams the watermelon grows bigger and bigger and she eats so much that she grows and grows while the watermelon shrinks. This would be fun for a family story time with a summer or fruit theme. I like that there are some small elements of cultural inflection coming from the author: the protagonist's name is Noura (which comes from the word light in Arabic), she calls her grown ups mama and baba, her family eats molokhiya, and she eats fried eggs and zaatar for breakfast. The book isn't about these things, but they are lovely additions to the overall fabric of the story.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noura loves watermelon so much she would curl up inside one and live in it... so she does! Hiding a watermelon under her bed one night so she won't have to share, she wakes up to find her bed is almost touching the ceiling because the watermelon has grown so large! Sliding down it, she finds a door in the side and lets herself in.
It doesn't take long for Noura to learn that some things - even your most favorite things! - are best in moderation. Fun and vibrant illustrations will capture the attention of young readers in this lighthearted tale on how to avoid tummy aches.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noura wants to eat only watermelon. Her parents want her to have a more balanced diet.

I read this to my three year-old, and she loved both the simple story and expressive illustrations. I think it also helped that we had our first watermelon of the season this week, and she remembered how much she liked it. At any rate, she liked it so much she wanted me to read it again.

I liked the illustrations and the diverse family this book featured. We’ll definitely purchase our own copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet read. ;-) Yea, you like that I just did that. LOL

Noura is a young girl that loves watermelon and want it more and more. I don't want to give away the outcome of the book, but I too wanted more. Cute story!!

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

No story really, just a young girl who love to eat watermelon... Like of consistence for my taste!

[Mahira Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was nice. Read it and rate it please😍😍

[Gabrielle Blin ( book reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Des illustrations colorés et amusantes, ce livre sur les habitudes alimentaires est un vrai délice pour les enfants, les textes sont facile à comprendre et donc très bien adaptés pour les petits.Un petit livre à déguster cet été!

[Carolyn Whitzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watermelon Madness is a charming and well illustrated children’s book, set in Lebanon. Noura REALLY loves watermelon, until it gets to be TOO MUCH. Charming!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noura is a little girl who loved watermelon. She loves it so much she only wants to eat watermelon, in fact she wants to curl up and live inside a watermelon. That night, she hides a watermelon under her bed. That night she has a dream, or maybe a nightmare about being trapped inside a watermelon and not being able to get out. She learns that too much of anything is not a good thing.

My grandson thought this book was pretty funny. He loves watermelon, but could not understand only wanting to eat one thing. He has a pretty healthy and diverse appetite, but not all children do. This would be a good story to share when a child only wants to eat one thing. The illustrations are large, bright and vibrant, which certainly grabs and holds the attention of the listener. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Elley Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story with fun illustrations, but I'm not sure about the way it ended? I think the moral is supposed to be that too much a good thing isn't so good after all, and after dreaming about eating the entire giant watermelon Noura eats good/healthy breakfast food... But I feel like it could have been tied up a little better at the ending, maybe with a reappearance from the food Noura wouldn't eat at the beginning of the book. Still, the illustrations are cute and this is a good length for a bedtime story.

[Tintaglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noura ama l'anguria. ADORA l'anguria. Non mangerebbe altro che anguria, anguria, anguria!

Non è interessata ai piatti appetitosi che le prepara la mamma, non le viene l'acquolina in bocca agli odori di cucina: vuole solo ANGURIA.

Finché una notte, dopo aver nascosto la più grossa, succulenta anguria mai vista sotto il suo letto, Noura sogna...

Un libro ironico e divertente, che attraverso una storia semplice ma efficace e illustrazioni adorabili permette di introdurre il tema della buona alimentazione con bambini di ogni età.

[Abby Johnson]

A sweet, funny story about a young girl who only wants to eat watermelons, even though her parents constantly urge her to eat a balanced diet. After she hides a watermelon under her bed, intending to eat the entire thing herself, Noura has scary dreams of being stuck inside a watermelon and wakes up more willing to eat different things.

Parents of picky eaters will recognize their kids in Noura. This book is translated from Arabic.

[Jo Linsdell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a girl who just wants to eat watermelon...and nothing else. A nice reminder for kids that a varied diet is important and that too much of one thing can be bad for you. Also opens for discussions about greed and why it's better to share. A few watermelon facts make a nice ending to this book.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if a lot of picky eaters have this dream! Think this is a first for me - a children’s book translates from original Arabic.

[Yassmeen Altaif · Rating 5 out of 5]

هذه تستحق أكثر من خمس نجوم

[سهيلة خالد · Rating 5 out of 5]

بحب الكتاب ده حب. رسوما و نصا و فكرة

[Lindsi (Do You Dog-ear?) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I thought this book had a very James and the Giant Peach vibe, but that feeling didn't last very long. Noura was rude and extremely ill-tempered. She yelled at her mother with no consequence, and I thought her behavior should have at least been addressed.

At the end the mother tells her daughter that they will discuss the "magical watermelon" the next day, but then the story ends. Why tell the readers your going to talk about Noura's dream, if you're not going to?

The story was an okay read for me, and my son enjoyed it because of the watermelon theme (he's obsessed with them). I just feel like the story could have been more that what it was (a few more explanations, Noura being told that her behavior was unkind, etc.).

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today was 91 degrees, so I could relate to little Noura’s obsession with watermelon. But too much of a good thing is too much, as she painfully finds out — a moral any child or adult can relate to. Love the colorfully fun illustrations, sweet Noura herself and the wry way in which her story unfolds. 5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Chouette Publishing for the ARC. Opinions are mine alone.

#WatermelonMadness #NetGalley

[HadiBadi Books حادي بادي]

كعادتها، تأخذنا تغريد النجار بأسلوب سلس لعرض موضوع هام وهو الأكل الإنتقائي لدى بعض الأطفال وقلق الأهل أمام مثل هذا السلوك وخوفهم من عدم حصول أطفالهم على التغذية السليمة.
للمراجعة الكاملة
https://wp.me/paMrp9-tS

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noura is a watermelon addict. Morning, noon and night all she wants to eat is a large chunk of that awesome juicy red fruit. She refuses all other foods, no way, it's only watermelon for her. Her distraught parents try to encourage her to try other foods but stubborn Noura refuses. It's exclusively watermelon on her menu or else. Finally she throws a tantrum at the dinner table after another struggle of trying to get her to eat molokhiya, chicken and rice. Mama has had it and gets angry. She tells her daughter firmly that she must eat her molokhiya first then she can have her beloved watermelon.

That evening Noura sneaks into the kitchen and low and behold what does she find on the table? Yes... a big, beautiful watermelon and she wants to eat it all by herself? She sneaks the watermelon and rolls it under her bed to eat later when everyone is asleep and she can dine solo in perfect bliss.

Can Noura manage to pull off this watermelon caper? What will happen to her if she manages to eat the whole thing all by herself? What consequences of her devious deed just might turn her towards other wholesome foods to eat and save delicious watermelon for dessert purposes as Mama suggests?

Noura learns a wonderful life lesson about being a picky eater and not wanting to branch out and sample different foods. The foods in the story are from the Middle East culture so that is fun for kids to learn about. The book was originally published in Arabic and in the back are fun facts about watermelons. "Watermelon Madness" is a great pick to introduce kids to another culture and will be an asset in a classroom or elementary school library.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noura only wants to eat watermelon. She refuses to eat anything else. One night she even sneaks a huge watermelon into her room with plans to eat it all by herself. But she has strange dreams with that watermelon under her bed.

The purpose of this story is obviously to encourage picky eaters to branch out a little more. Not that that is bad. It is a frequent issue with young children, and thus an appropriate topic for a picture book. Noura is an extremely picky eater. Her dreams in essence teach her that too much of a good thing isn't so good. What I liked best about this is the other foods that Noura's family encourages her to eat. They are almost all foods unique to the Middle East so many readers will get introduced to some new foods while readers with ties to the Middle East will see familiar foods they don't normally find in English picture books. I also liked the little facts about watermelon in the back of the book. A good choice if you're looking for a multicultural read or a lesson for a picky eater.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been there, done that. Children, and teens too, may happen to go once in a while through a stage when only one single food is all they want. May be potatoes, or apples, or cinnamon buns. Or watermelon, which is not such a bad choice after all, especially when it happens in the summer. This book with funny colourful illustrations tells such a story, of a girl that only wants to eat watermelon, all day long and in her dreams too. The parents will try to stop this madness and somehow, there is a happy ending. Meaning that the watermelon will be on the table to keep company to many other delicious sounding meals.
Especially if you have a child struggling with eating problems of different kinds, this is a good way to understand and try to change this situation. Othwerwise, a pleasant bookish company for the long summer evenings.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watermelon Madness by Taghreed Najjar
Illustrated by Maya Fidawi
Publisher: CrackBoom! Books
ISBN: 9782924786222

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher CrackBoom! Books by Taghreed Najjar and illustrator Maya Fidawi for the ebook ARC of Watermelon Madness.

Noura is crazy about watermelon! She wants to eat nothing else every day but watermelon. Noura thinks there is no such thing about too much watermelon. And then one night she sneaks a watermelon into her room and dreams about having all of the watermelon she could ever want.

I give this book a rating of 4 stars. I read it to my 4 year old daughter. She really liked the book and the illustrations. She wants me to read it to her again. Very cute story and a good reminder for kids that diet is important. There were also a few fun facts about watermelon at the end of the story.

#WatermelonMadness #NetGalley

[Myndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noura is a little girl who loves watermelon, so much so that she refuses to eat anything else, and hides a large watermelon so she can have it all to herself! After hiding it under her bed, she has a dream that teachers her that some wishes aren't meant to come true.

What initially attracted me to this book was the bright colors and the watermelon (who doesn't love watermelon?!?). I have three first graders who are avid readers, and I'm always on the hunt for new books for them (though they are mostly into chapter books at this point, they still enjoy books like this as well). While I loved the illustrations and the concept, something just didn't click for me, I'm afraid.

Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.

[Melissa T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a simple book about a girl who loves to eat watermelon. It's a good lesson for kids that everything should be enjoyed in moderation. There were a few sticking points that made me not really enjoy it though. First, it switches between past and present tenses, when it should just stick with one tense. Also, there's not really too much of a story. It ends really abruptly, without the intended lesson being explained to Noura, or truly demonstrating her understanding. It could have been expanded on with a page or two of her talking with her mother about the experience.

*I received an electronic copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*