The Stone of Destiny: Tales from Turkey

Gr 3–5—Salahaddin, a poor stonecutter, splits a boulder and finds "a beautiful stone, twinkling in its nest of rock." And so begins The Stone of Destiny as he sets out from his home near the Black Sea to consult with a master jeweler in the ancient city of Istanbul. This journey frames the five traditional tales he tells en route. Each story opens with: "Once there was, and once there was not…" and ends with a verse, enhanced by a full-page black-and-white illustration. Deceptively simple, the story-within-a-story structure immerses readers in a rich tradition of storytelling, familiar from the time of The Arabian Nights to Susan Fletcher's Shadow Spinner (S & S, 1998). Language is carefully chosen, as befits a traditional tale, with particular attention paid to alliteration: "…caravans of camels carrying cargoes," and an abundance of adjectives: "the great ships, the magnificent palaces, the beautiful princesses, the unconquerable kings…." Source notes confirm the stories' authenticity by crediting both published collections and individual story collectors. Other back matter includes an outline map of Turkey; background information about caravanserais, the "inns" where Salahaddin told his stories; and an author's note. Familiar storytelling conventions (three sons, three days, three questions) and universal themes (kindness is rewarded while greed is punished) will make this small gem a perfect introduction to a cross-cultural comparison of folklore.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL