Never Say a Mean Word Again A Tale from Medieval Spain [Hardcover]

Inspired by a legend about a Jewish vizier who advised the Muslim ruler of medieval Spain, this story tells of a conundrum faced by a boy named Samuel and the counterintuitive wisdom of his father, the vizier. After Samuel accidentally offends Hamza, the tax collectors son, and incurs endures his rage ('Donkey Brain! Stupid! Look what you did!'), Samuels father instructs him, 'Make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again.' With illuminating detailssuch as the boys' headwear, backdrops of thick stone walls or heavy wooden doors, geometric patterns in mauves and browns, and a vine and flower motifBernhards (Around the World in One Shabbat) illustrations convey an elegant, multicultural castle environment. Energy and movement infuse the paintings, which humorously render Samuels contemplated strategies ('Maybe he could train a monkey to sit on Hamza's shoulders. The monkey could clamp Hamzas lips shut'). Jules's (the Zapato Power series) down-to-earth narrative communicates Samuel's subtle internal transformation as the unexpected, amusing, and touching outcomes of his attempts to obey his father turn a power struggle into a budding friendship. Ages 48.A story of bullying, acceptance, and friendship, Never Say a Mean Word Again is a delightful account of turning meanness and rudeness into kindness and friendship.... A moral tale of friendship, Never Say a Mean Word Again: A Tale from Medieval Spain, has an admirable story guided by marvelous illustrations that will inspire children and adults. Make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again, ordered Samuel's father, the grand vizier. As the most important advisor in the royal court in medieval Spain, Samuel could hardly disobey him. But, what could he do to stop Hamza being mean to him? Inspired by a powerful legend, this light-hearted yet compelling story of two boys, one Jewish and one Muslim, shows how you don't need a trained monkey to hold someone's lips together to stop a bully.No one ignores l£z