One Thousand and One Arabian Nights

by Geraldine McCaughrean (Adapted By), Rosamund Fowler (Illustrator)

King Shahryar kills a new wife every night, because he is afraid she will stop loving him. But his new bride Shahrazad has a clever plan to save herself. Her nightly stories--of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains--are so engrossing that King Shahryar has to postpone her execution again and again... This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Literature, Magic, Childrens

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2004

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[Kate Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd tried several times in recent years to read a collection of the Arabian Nights tales, and kept getting bogged down in archaic language, unfamiliar cultural references, or versions that were too long. This rendition of 35 tales intended for younger readers, however, is vivid and concise, easily readable and--at 275 pages--not too simplified. Filled with magic, danger, deceit, talking animals, exotic locales, romance, abrupt changes of fortune, and poetic justice, the characters are drawn from all social classes and demonstrate both heroism and weakness. Readers are treated to alliterative phrases like "you foul-faced, flat-footed fool of a fox" and passionate lovers' declarations: "O marrow of my bones, beat of my pulse, blood of my veins" and "you are the songbird in my heart's cage, my crescent moon flying through the night sky." Plus some zinger insults: "you son of a camel-flea," "you greedy swelled-up bullfrog," "you black plague-rat" and many more.

Overall, a fine collection of entertaining storytelling.

[Devon Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son is in a home school co-op this year. I am the fifth and sixth grade writing teacher. I was given my curriculum, which came complete with a list of reading for the year. So I read the novels along with the kids, and there were some mixed results. As you should be able to tell from the title of this blog entry, the theme of their writing course of the year was Medieval times, which was cool because they were also studying the Middle Ages in their history class. So there was a lot of overlap and it worked out nicely. I’ll just start plowing through the book reviews. (Note: We did not get to the last two books, due to Covid-19 and the stay at home restrictions. We missed a book about Marco Polo and one about the Crusades.)

The first book we read was The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Tania Zamorsky. If you know me at all (even just as a blog follower), you know that I enjoy King Arthur stuff. I have reviewed several King Arthur books and series here on the blog, as well as some TV series and maybe a movie. My second novel (a novella, actually) is based in the Middle Ages and has the flavor of Camelot. So I was excited to begin the year this way. I hadn’t read any children’s chapter books about King Arthur, and, well, this would not be the one I would recommend. There must be better out there. (Or not. I am only guessing.) It has decent ratings, but it just wasn’t very engaging. Sure, it told some of the stories so that kids could follow along, but it lacked cohesion (perhaps on purpose, remaining true to the bits-and-pieces legends) and it just wasn’t a page-turner. I didn’t enjoy it and either did the kids. It fell flat. It may be that I enjoy King Arthur approached with a more modern sense of storytelling, but I kept wondering where all the drama and the energy was. The romance. The adventure. It felt almost textbook-y. I wonder if the Howard Pyle original might have been better.

And then we went into Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden. Again, I rejoiced, because I like Robin Hood stories, although not nearly as much as King Arthur. I also hear Bryan Adams singing in my head whenever Robin Hood is mentioned. And again I was disappointed. And again I was left hoping there was a better version of the Robin Hood stories for children. This book was actually better than the other, though. Written better a little bit. Actually had some life in it, and a sense of humor. It was broken up into stories without a real arc (or at least one you noticed while it was arcing), however, and this made it hard to keep reading. I asked the same questions as last time, except less about adventure and more: where’s the romance and maybe where’s the drama? If you have a kid on your hands who likes short stories and British history, then perhaps this is the book for him or her. I mean, English children have been loving these stories for like a million years, so maybe yours will as well. Sadly, this book (though a Dover classic,) made the stories feel outdated.

I had no idea what to expect from The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder. Turns out it is a book about a Welsh boy who is orphaned and maimed and then betrayed into slavery among the Anglo-Saxons. In the Middle Ages, of course. His tongue is cut out near the beginning of the book, so I had to warn parents about this. Not that it was especially graphic, but the idea is a little intense. Evyn, the boy, is resilient and has just enough luck and intelligence to be able to make himself useful and be promoted over and over until he is, as the title says, the King’s shadow. Since the children had already learned about King Harold and the Battle of Hastings, it was nice to make connections to history. On the other hand, I used this book to teach the kids a couple of things that they should NOT do when they write. (Among other things, they should not use physical attributes as sure indicators of characteristics. Just because someone is tall and muscular does not make him a great king, etc. or just because someone is wearing black and has a scar does not make him a villain. The author does this regularly. There’s also a whole lot of telling and not showing going on, so we learned about that.) While the book was useful as a tool for teaching writing pitfalls, again we found ourselves not enjoying a book. Though I had one or two who did like this book and reviews online are pretty good. I really didn’t like it.

And then we read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean and I felt very happy. My mind had been trained by now not to expect much from this reading list, though it kept to topics that I normally would really enjoy. One Thousand and One Arabian Nights was a book that I had been meaning to read for many years. This is, obviously, a version of the Islamic classic adapted for children. Which makes it a bit awkward, because the premise is this: King Sharyar is jilted and spends years in bitterness, marrying a new woman every day to have her executed the next morning. The clever Shaharazad “sacrifices” herself by marrying the king and uses storytelling to keep him from executing her day after day after day. We, as the reader, get to listen in to all the tales. Again, I had to warn the parents about the sadistic king. Containing within it some real classics, like Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves, I was blown away by the humor and the voice of this rendition. In the end, I would probably recommend it for an older audience, but I really had a great time reading this and marveling at the cleverness of the story itself. Maybe one day I’ll get around to reading the original, but I also wouldn’t mind giving this one another read on my own.

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli felt like déjà vu. It’s about a boy who loses everything, including his future plans and his legs (instead of tongue) to the Plague. Robin finds himself at the mercy of the monks and with his personality and his ability to learn, he works his way up and finds a new future for himself. So, very similar to The King’s Shadow. While this one tends to get lower reviews than the other, I can’t agree with that. I thought that this book had a charm that the other was lacking, even if it still wasn’t my favorite. A Newbery Award winner, it is a bit heavy on the morals and perhaps suffers from a lack of action, but I still liked it alright and would recommend it for the right child.

Before Covid-19 forced us into quarantine, we read Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. Another Newbery Award-winner, this was my second-favorite book of the bunch because it contained a levity and tenderness that I enjoyed. It’s about yet another boy who suffers a loss and has to be strong, keep going, and use his wits to overcome. In this version, he loses his dog and his father, both of which he pursues for the duration of the book. Part of why this book is so interesting is because of the sheer otherness of Adam’s experiences in contrast to a child today. As a minstrel’s child, Adam had almost complete free-range and he lived on the road, which could mean sleeping on the side of it. While we can see a little around it, Adam adores his father and his life as the son of a minstrel, and I was intrigued by what this life might have looked like in the Middle Ages. The book gives you a glimpse into life at the time and also gives you a handful of characters to love.

Here are a few titles in middle grades Middle Ages, which I have not read, that might be worth a try. (They are also more diverse.):

The Inquisitor’s Tale, Hatem Ally
Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, David Macaulay
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, Katherine Patterson
Possibly The Shakespeare Stealer Trilogy
The Crystal Ribbon, Celeste Lim
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter, Diane Magras
The Ugly One, Leanna Statland Ellis
I might recommend trying Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Avi) or Leonardo’s Shadow (Christopher Peter Grey), but I’m tired to stories of boys in the Middle Ages who lose everything and have to be resilient and have their wits about them to succeed.

***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***

[Steven Walle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the King was very disheartened with women. He claimed that a woman's love only lasts a day, so he would marry a young bride one morning and have her killed the next.
He then found a bride who would regail him with beautiful fanciful stories so the King kept her alive for one thousand and one nights.
I enjoyed this very much and would highly recommend it.
Enjoy and Be Blessed
Steven

[Nia · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book had a beautiful ending, I think that this adaptation didn't really sit well with me, partly because of the many Europeanisations. I suspect that a better translation , or a longer adaptation, or just reading it in the original once I've learned those languages better.

[Pooja Banga · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Shahryar kills a new wife every night, because he is afraid she will stop loving him. But his new bride Shahrazad has a clever plan to save herself. Her nightly stories--of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains--are so engrossing that King Shahryar has to postpone her execution again and again... This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.

[Quinlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories were a lot of fun to read, and it was interesting to see how they have been incorporated into popular culture in various ways. I also really enjoyed this version, because I felt that it did a good job representing the culture while also making it accessible to the modern reader.

[Toast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! The translation was wonderful, I learnt more about the tales than before, the illustrations weren't that good and didn't support the stories which was a shame but then they let my imagination do the work. Great to read or to read aloud. No wonder its a classic.
Toast

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book as a read aloud for my children because it was the best retelling of the Arabian Nights stories that I’ve ever read. I love the figurative language in this adaptation. The similes McCaugherean uses takes us into the an ancient culture and paints uniquely Persian pictures in our imaginations. I also love the focus of redemption McCaugherean tells. Some adaptations don’t tell us anything about Shahryar except that each morning after his wedding he kills every new bride. McCaugherean weaves the healing of King Shahryar’s broken heart into Shahrazad’s stories. It really is a great work of children’s literature.

[Kristigilbert5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't recommend this as a book to share with young kids; explaining a king's killing a new wife every night is a bit too gruesome. But it has been wonderful to read these old tales on my own and share them with my older kids. I am amazed by the creativity of the human race. These stories are centuries old!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Although, some of the stories were a little bit boring. I liked how most of the stories had a message for Sharyar of what he could improve on. I think that was a really good idea. There were also many stories that reminded me of other stories like The Story Of The Anklet.

[cady_D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I liked the emotions of Shaharazad and the King, and the stories she told were suspenseful and full of emotion. My favorite part (one of them) was at the end, when the King and Shaharazad ebded up together

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite as a child!

[Rubaina]

This book was really good. I normally don't like folktales, but this book really changed my perspective on them. The book also taught me a lot about Arabic culture and Islam.

[RaenenAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arabian Nights was pretty good and had a lot of stories (most of which were good), but it got a bit repetitive after a while. Also, the book was predictable, which made it a bit less exciting.

[Tiffany Mae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book; there were to many stories and it took forever to get to the point.

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent; funny; enjoyable

[Eric Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another that's been on the shelf for a long time. Interesting little stories, some more than others.
Not as good as expected, but worth reading. A short review for a short collection.

[Jennifer Spiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection - I had only heard some of the stories before in much more simplified versions/tv adaptations so this was a great retelling.

Use in the classroom:

A collection of traditional tales retold in a simplified form (though not overly simplified - suitable for upper KS2-KS3 readers and adults). I read it in fits and starts as and when this was used in a Year 5 / 6 class as the class book, guided reading text, and link to the topic of Ancient Islam. Although not quite the intention of the text (making you want to continue reading) I found it relatively easy to dip in and out of.
The stories follow a similar pattern, with the movement from the court into each individual story that end on a cliffhanger so the King keeps his wife alive! These ending make for interesting conversation topics as to whether they would keep you wanting to listen - do they work better read aloud or written down etc.
These stories can be linked to many other tales the children would be familiar with, with morality elements such as Goldilocks or Cinderella, as well as some adventure tales. Can the children write their own version or compare it to a traditional tale they have read.

These on their own or as a sequence provide lots of ideas for further work, whether as a whole class read or with a guided reading group. Language is a real key feature, with things like simile, alliteration, sibilance, adjectives, metaphor, onomatopoeia something that could be focused on. However if using for guided reading this would not be recommended for LA children as often the language is quite complex and a concentration on that often takes away from the story itself.

[Umit · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

In this book, a king, King Shahryar, is introduced as a king who kills a newly married wife every night, in fear of her love being lost to another man. This adds an intriguing sense to the beginning of the book, in my opinion.

Quite an amazing book! The stories Shahrazad tells are very detailed, and descriptive, and all end very nicely. I think the length of this book is also quite satisfying, because it is slightly short, but not even close to 'too short.' (This book also teaches many interesting and important aspects of Arabic and Islamic culture!)

Some of my most favorite of Sharazad's stories are, 'Keys of Destiny,' 'Sinbad the Sailor,' and 'Ala-Aldin and his Wonderful Lamp.'

Overall, this book is great entertainment for anyone who may come across it!

[Dion Yulianto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agak curiga ini penerjemahnya dua orang--kurang luwes di bagian awal tapi mulus setelah setengah ke belakang. Nemu kata "senter" di gua Alibaba. Dan ada kata "umat atau orang beriman" yang diterjemahkan "orang faithful". Waduh. Cerita 1001 malam ini versi tidak lengkap dan ringan, karena penulis melompat dari malam ke satu lalu malam ke berapa puluh, lalu lompat ke malam empat ratus sekaian. Dari sekilas baca, sepertinya hanya dipilih cerita-cerita yang cenderung happy ending (atau bisa dibilang versi Disney). Ada satu kisah yang mirip cerita Cinderella, cuma yang ketinggalan di pesta bukan sepatu kaca tapi gelang kaki. Apakah Cinderella terinspirasi dari kisah ini ya? Secara umum, terjemahannya dapat dipahami dan isinya lumayan enak dinikmati.

[Monica Mititelu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu am citit cartea “1001 DE NOPȚI ARABE” de GeraldineMcCaughrean de la editura ALLFA din colecția Mituri și legende ale lumii. Copyright 2002 ALLFA.
În original “ONE THOUSAND AND ONE ARABIAN NIGHTS” Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean Copyright Oxford University Press, 1982.
Nu am găsit această carte pe Goodreads așa că am decis să carchez o carte similară.
Tocmai ce am observat: cartea pe care am marcat-o pe Goodreads este aproape aceeași carte cu cea pe care am citit-o doar că coperta este diferită penru că este altă ediție. Nu cred că sunt aceleași povești în cartea de pe Goodreads și în cartea pe care am citit-o (pentru că este o altă ediție).
Apropo, cartea mea este semnată de mama.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 When I decided to read this, it didn't occur to me the complete work would have to be over 1001 pages, even if each story were only one page. So though the description I read of this book didn't say it was complete, I mistakenly assumed it was. Anyway - my mistake. It is also a new translation. I enjoyed the tales. They read easily and like fairy tales. All are short. I was disappointed in that - in that I was hoping for more, but am glad to have read it anyway.
Knowing what I know now, I also don't know if I would really have wanted to read all TEN volumes of the Burton translation, but I think I will try one.

[Mbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Như nhiều người đã biết, trong Ngàn lẻ một đêm, Sinbad có 7 cuộc phiêu lưu" xin lỗi tôi quê không đọc không biết >.<
Nên là tiếp tục chiếc reading list tháng 6 inspired bởi chú diễn viên nọ bằng quyển này
Ban đầu đọc bản Tales From the Arabian Nights: Stories of Adventure, Magic, Love, and Betrayal đầy đủ 7 cuộc phiêu lưu, mà cách viết vừa thô vừa khô, vội vội vàng vàng tóm tắt cho đủ 1001 truyện mà không có gì hấp dẫn. Bản này cuốn hơn, dù không đầy đủ 7 cuộc phiêu lưu của Sinbad nhưng đọc rất thích.

[Felipe CZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite having some violent, sexist and chauvinist stories, it is an interesting work to read. To counter the deceit of women, King Shahrayar beds a new wife each night only to have her killed in the morning. But his vizier's daughter, Shahrazad, vows to save the kingdom's girls by telling the king stories to keep him interested so that he can't kill her.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as part of a COVID book club, and chose this edition so I could read the stories to my 10-y.o. This translation is age appropriate, though any translation will need to come with some contextualizing about the cultural tropes that operate there. Still, good translation for younger readers and their dads.

[Gary Gomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first classic of 2024. I'm sure these stories read better long ago. However it was fascinating still to read the Seven Voyages of Sinbad, Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves in the original prose. Found most of the stories to seem somewhat repetative in nature but giving that this book is a thousand years old that shouldn't be so surprising

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous book! My young guy narrated the child-friendly stories to give who'd listen because they were so fun. Geraldine McCaughrean did a lovely job of choosing from the thousand stories ones that are appropriate for children and making them readable both on one's own and aloud.

[Liz F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was an interesting book!

I liked it! Very creative. ;) The beginning was kinda slow for me, but then I got more into it. I don't know why. :P


I'll catch up on all my other reviews maybe tomorrow! :)

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the storytelling of this book. Apparently though, there is a more complex version with more stories? I’m kinda confused on that. But despite that confusion, this was very lovely and nostalgic :). It was like being child again, listening to stories of adventure and love.

[Deborah De · Rating 4 out of 5]

This edition only has 35 of the takes but gives a pretty good representation. Some of then were "LOL" stories, some moral. But, it's a good edition to get a sense of what 1001 nights is about. I enjoyed it!