Pinkie's Pick: The Adventures of Abdi by Madonna

This is a fairy tale about a boy who learns the power of certainty. No matter what happens to him on his journey to deliver a necklace made by the man he's apprenticed to--robbers, dungeons, and snakes--he adheres to the belief that it is all for the best and things will eventually turn out well. It's a story about optimism, which is sometimes a magic in itself.

But it's the weirdly beautiful and surreal illustrations by Olga and Andrej Dugina that made the book for me. They could have been taken straight from a picture book version of one of the tales from One Thousand and One Nights.





Cobra men, giant pumpkins, lion birds, miniature camels, and a person with a globe of the earth for a face...these add to the book's appeal.

If you're looking for a tale about adventure and optimism, this one is certainly a treat for kids. And grown-ups as well.