Today's read is one of, so far, five adventures surrounding a character named Pepper Masalah. From the covers and titles, this series is set in the Middle East/Egypt area, but the main character lives in Australia. So, there's quite a bit of cultural aspects, I'm guessing. Plus, it involves a flying carpet...so a touch of magic? i have no doubt there will be plenty of adventure. So, let's dive in!
PEPPER MASALAH AND THE KASHMIRI PRINCESS
by Rosanne Hawke
Illustrated by Jasmine Berry
Chapter Books
62 pages
ages 5 to 8
The carpet flies Pepper and Zam to Azad Kashmir where there has been an earthquake. When Pepper is kidnapped, they meet Princess Jani who lives in a houseboat on a lake. She knows a secret and is in great danger. Can they solve the mystery of the stolen animals and keep everyone safe? Will they ever return home to Australia?
MY TIDBITS
Adventure with a touch of magic allows travel through time and space to create a lovely read and fun mystery.
Pepper (a cat) is still underway with Zam (a human boy) on a magical carpet, which leads them to various places as it drags them along on its quest...whatever that might be. They're hoping that it will return them home, at one point. This time, the carpet takes them to a town, which has just been through an earthquake. Buildings are destroyed and everyone is trying its best to recoup from the disaster. The two friends meet a princess, who lives in a houseboat, and wants to introduce them to other town members, who might be able to help them with their journey. But then, Pepper gets animal-napped!
This is book five in a series, and it works best if the entire series is read, one after the other. The adventures are part of a journey and build on Pepper and Zam's hope to return home to Australia one day. The author does, however, give a quick summary of the adventures up to this point, so readers, who haven't visited the series yet, won't feel completely lost. And this works well enough, too.
There's a lot of goodness in this read. First off, Pepper makes a lovely main character, especially with Zam right on the side. Zam understands her, and the two work together very well. Both are curious and help where they can, but the longing to return home is what pulls at the heart strings. Still, they are very open to the culture and people they meet. This allows historical and cultural goodness to flow in through the story as readers discover everything right along with the pair. I also enjoyed the addition of an earthquake struck area, since this adds an original aspect not often seen in chapter book literature. So, there is tons of information slipped into the scenes, which flows naturally right into the story.
The text is fitting to those readers, who are sure of their words, but simply need more practice before diving into larger reads. The vocabulary not only supports growth but also adds some foreign language knowledge along the way...just a little bit. The font is larger to add to reading ease, and the illustrations support readers as they discover they tale.
It's a quick-paced read, which keeps things flowing. Despite the cultural goodness, the descriptions are actually kept at a minimum. So, boredom isn't really a danger. There's a nice mystery aspect and enough tension with a little danger to make it exciting. Plus, with an adorable cat as the main character, this is a tale to be enjoyed...oh, and let's not forget the touch of magic carpet fun.
And here they are...
Rosanne Hawke is a SA author of 30 books for young people. She has been a teacher, a lecturer in creative writing at Tabor Adelaide, and worked with a mission agency in Pakistan & UAE. Her books explore cultural and social issues, Cornish folklore, history, mystery, family and faith. She often writes of displacement, belonging and reconciliation and tells stories of children unheard. Taj and the Great Camel Trek won the Adelaide Festival Award for Children’s Literature and was highly commended in the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Rosanne is the recipient of the Nance Donkin Award for a woman author who writes for children. She writes in an underground room near Kapunda.
For more information about Rosanne, visit her website and Facebook page.
For more information about Rosanne, visit her website and Facebook page.
Jasmine Berry grew up in beautiful Albany, Western Australia. She has been drawing to impress the other kids, since she was old enough to hold a colouring pencil. But lately, she crafts these exciting and magical worlds with her computer, iPad and many coffees. She lives in Perth with her husband and with two adorable cats, and a rather large collection of succulents.
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