Arabian Nights question

[Guest]

ds loves the Arabian Nights, but his copy does not have this story:

 

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-arabian-nights-one-thousand-and-one-nights/study-guide/summary-the-three-princes-and-the-princess-nouronnihar

 

For Christmas, he is getting a teeny tiny doormat sized reproduction of a Persian carpet because I have such wonderful childhood memories of my grandparents' oriental carpets and imagining myself into that story.

 

I'm looking for a picture book for him that has good illustrations to go with the mat. He has a very good reading vocabulary for a 7 year old, but not much stamina: he'll ask me what "spontaneous combustion" means when he sees that on a warning label, but there's no way he'd curl up with a Magic Tree House book on his own.

 

I don't want Disney's Aladdin movie and that's all I can find on Amazon. Can anyone here help?

 

TIA

[Kareni]

I wonder if this is the same story ~

 

The Three Princes: A Tale from the Middle East by Eric A. Kimmel

 

From Publishers Weekly

 

Kimmel's sprightly retelling of a Middle Eastern folktale and Fisher's ambient artwork shimmer with wisdom and magic. A princess sends each of three princes to find a "wondrous object" so that one will prove himself worthy of her hand. The suitors are cousins, and after a year's search they reconvene to display their treasures: a crystal ball that shows what is happening anywhere, a flying carpet that speeds to any destination, and an orange that will cure any illness. When the ball reveals the princess on her deathbed the men combine their gifts to rescue her and, revived, she decides to marry the one "most responsible for saving her." Love and uncommon good sense prevail. Sly humor and high spirits buoy Kimmel's text. At the same time a sense of mystery and wonder ("In the tomb of a forgotten king I discovered this") underlines the work, so that it becomes both fairy tale and modern fable. Fisher ( Kinderdike , Children's Forecasts, Dec. 20) suggests the exotic Arabian setting with a rich palette of striking tones--pink desert skies, violet vistas--and by incorporating unexpected closeups and unusual angles in his compositions. The play of light and shadow is spectacular. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

 

 

From School Library Journal

 

Grade 2-4-A wise and beautiful princess is wooed by three princes. Two are men of wealth and renown, while the third, Mohsen, possesses "little more than his handsome face, his cloak, and his camel." It is he, of course, whom she wishes to marry. To give him a chance to compete with them, she sends them all on a quest, vowing to marry the one who returns with the greatest wonder. The first finds a crystal ball; the second, a flying carpet; Mohsen, a curative orange. On their return journey, the men see tragedy in the crystal ball-the princess is dying. The carpet whisks them back to the princess, and Mohsen feeds her his orange. She is saved, but still the question remains-which prince should she marry? She chooses Mohsen because he has sacrificed his treasure for her. Storytellers familiar with Virginia Tashjian's With a Deep Sea Smile (Little, 1974; o.p.) or Harold Courlander's The King's Drum & Other African Stories (Harcourt, 1962; o.p.) will recognize this as a variant of the African story, "The Search." But where these earlier versions leave the final question unresolved, Kimmel's tale provides a satisfying conclusion. His smooth narrative is strong and direct-traditional in structure, but with a fresh, contemporary voice. Dark underpainting and dense blocks of bold color give Fisher's illustrations weight and dimension, while his dramatic use of light focuses the eye effortlessly through the pictures. A welcome addition that deserves to become a read-aloud standard.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Guest]

You're amazing, Kareni! Thank you so much!