Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!: A Palestinian Folktale (review)

When a woman prays to Allah for a child, "even if it is nothing more than a cooking pot," she receives a little daughter-pot to love. The excitable pot is eager to venture out into the world, but quickly finds trouble after sneaking home with honey and then jewels that have been stored inside of her; the wronged merchant and king decide that as punishment she should be filled with muck from the goat pen. Noted storyteller MacDonald's lively rendition of the tale is tailormade for telling, with the recurring sound effect Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! and repetitive phrases such as "I love you! Love you! Love you." The adaptation shortens and softens elements of the more earthy source tale (an adapter's note specifies the original Galilean teller and collectors of the tale, the tale type, and the title of a Danish variation) but retains its humor and energy. Arzoumanian's illustrations—swaths of acrylic back-dropped by dark paper that lends shading and texture behind bold reds, golds, and blues—pair chunky geometrical objects with decorative patterning and mosaic-like design elements. Contrast and careful layout mean that despite ornate elements the action will be easy to pick out even from a distance. This unique tale should make for lively readaloud fun.