A Hen in the Wardrobe

Charming story about a boy whose family goes to visit his relatives in Algeria, in an attempt to cure his father's sleepwalking. Interesting description of the culture and landscape of Algeria. Includes a glossary of Arabic terms used in the book and a recipe. My only complaint is that on page 106 there is a dig at the French which is unfortunate in a book touted for its multiculturism. Should appeal to strong second grade readers up to fifth grade. ( )

As an elementary teacher, I can see many positive aspects to having such a diverse book in the classroom library. Teachers need to be forewarned that the main characters in the story are Muslim. While the story is not harping on religion or trying to teach a faith, teachers need to be aware of the fact beforehand, so they can better prepare to deal with parents who may have concerns about their child reading a book that deals with a specific religion.
All that being said, it is a wonderful story of a sleep-walking man, and a son who will do anything to help his father. An interesting way to teach children that no matter what race or religion, people are people, and still deal with the same issues: finding friends, going to school, being afraid, etc. ( )

An interesting book about the mix in cultures in the English speaking world. Actually this is about a sleepwalking man and his journey in search of a cure... with a mix of American English, British English, and Arabic. Throw in an artist wife, a normal boy, and a girl who is extra intelligent. This book was an interesting and educational reading experience. ( )

I thought this short chapter book was a nice read with a great message for children. Aside from it being a funny and engaging tale, children are exposed to Algerian culture and words. I thought the story was well written, witty, and showed the determination of a young boy to help his father. I appreciated the glossary in the back of the book and would love to try to cook Nana Ramadan's Special Crunchy Biscuits. ( )

As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Home is where the heart is, they say, but what happens when your heart is in more than one place? For Ramzi’s father, Mr. Ramadan, this causes quite a problem in Wendy Meddour’s debut novel, A Hen in the Wardrobe. Poor Mr. Ramadan is acutely homesick, you see, and because of this has begun sleepwalking again, leading him to unfortunate and frankly hilarious situations such as searching for the title hen in his son’s wardrobe and climbing a tree as an endangered snow leopard (Mr. Ramadan is also deathly afraid of heights). When a sleep specialist recommends Mr. Ramadan take a trip home, Ramzi’s father packs up the family and leaves grey, grey England for the mountains of Algeria. Once home, Mr. Ramadan starts sleeping like a baby, and Ramzi gets to know a home away from home. Ramzi comes face to face with the nefarious Boulelli, a spider that lives in the woods and feasts upon children, stands up to a bully, and learns that he alone may hold the key to his father’s health and well-being.

A Hen in the Wardrobe is a charming tale of family relations and has a sensitive heart for those who call multiple places around the globe home. It gets off to a bit of a rocky start, beginning in the middle of the action and hardly slowing down. I had a hard time with the characters at first, especially Ramzi’s friend Shaima who seems picked straight from the tree of plucky, young, (annoying) genius girls. But once the story shifts to Algeria, it really spreads its wings and gets comfortable. The book is full of Arabic words and phrases (and offers a handy-dandy glossary in the back), and colorful characters that really make you feel the place and time. This is a wonderful book for children who are curious about other cultures and other religions. On the whole, I am very grateful for books like this, which offer one important step on the road to a more tolerant world. ( )