The Camel in the Sun

Ondaatje (The Monkey King and Other Stories) tells a tale inspired by a hadith (a story about the Prophet Muhammad passed on orally) in which a long-suffering camel and its cruel owner find their hearts and lives changed by a meeting with the Prophet. Alternating between the two characters’ viewpoints, Ondaatje narrates with graceful lyricism: one scene contrasts the labor of the camel with the behavior of its unsympathetic rider, who sits on the animal “as if he were floating over the desert on a bundle of valuable goods under which there was no camel.” Wolfsgruber’s (Brunhilda and the Ring) illustrations—monoprints with drawing—convey a parched desert environment using dusky hues of rust, olive, and brown; green and red palm trees beautify the rounded doorways of Medina. In one poignant scene, camel and rider appear in silhouette against shades of greenish-brown sand and beige sky, with startling white drops falling from the camel’s eyes. The Prophet’s presence nudges the man into a dream in which he experiences the camel’s distress. Compassion follows. A tender story, eloquently rendered. Ages 5–up. (Oct.)