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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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THE CAT MAN OF ALEPPO

Karim Shamsi-Basha Yuko Shimizu Irene Latham

The courageous and true story of Alaa Aljaleel, who in the midst of the Syrian Civil War took care of Aleppo's abandoned cats.
Aleppo's city center no longer echoes with the rich, exciting sounds of copper-pot pounding and traditional sword sharpening. His neighborhood is empty - except for the many cats left behind.

Alaa loves Aleppo, but when war comes his neighbors flee to safety, leaving their many pets behind. Alaa decides to stay--he can make a difference by driving an ambulance, carrying the sick and wounded to safety. One day he hears hungry cats calling out to him on his way home. They are lonely and scared, just like him! He feeds and pets them to let them know they are loved. The next day more cats come, and then even more! There are too many for Alaa to take care of on his own. Alaa has a big heart, but he will need help from others if he wants to keep all of his new friends safe.


The author of more than a dozen current and forthcoming children books, Irene is also the winner of the 2016 ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award. Her books for children include Can I Touch Your Hair? (co-written with Charles Waters), Leaving Gee's Bend (2011ALA Children's Book of the Year) and most recently Meet Miss Fancy. Irene lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her family where she does her best to "live her poem" every single day by laughing, playing the cello, and walking in the woods.
Karim immigrated to the United States in 1984 from Damascus - Syria. His blog, Arab in Alabama, is on the Huffington Post. As a writer, he won two prizes in the prestigious 84th Writer's Digest International Competition. He has written and photographed extensively for several print and online publications including Sports Illustrated, People, Time, Southern Living, The Alabama News Center and the Birmingham News/al.com. This is his children's debut.
Yuko Shimizu is a Japanese illustrator based in New York City and an instructor at the School of Visual Arts. In 2009, Newsweek Japan chose Yuko as one of the "100 Japanese People the World Respects." Yuko is the illustrator of the picture book Barbed Wire Baseball, and her work can also be seen on Gap T-shirts, Pepsi cans, Visa billboards, and Microsoft and Target ads, as well as on numerous book covers and in the pages of The New York Times, Time, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and many others.
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Published 2020-04-14 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

Comments

Latham and Shamsi-Basha pick out the glimmers of light that make up Alaa's story, and Shimizu portrays their beauty.

A safe, sobering, and hopeful introduction to the crisis in Syria.

Based on the true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, this story portrays a beautiful and loving community rocked by violence... Shimizu's digitally colored paintings, echoing Edo-era Japanese art, are masterfully emotive... audiences will find solace in the reminder of humanity in the direst times.

THE CAT MAN OF ALEPPO was chosen as BCCB Blue Ribbon 2020 ; Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best ; and 2021 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year

...this picture book is distinctive for its engaging narrative and impeccable illustrations. ... A beautifully told and illustrated story that offers a unique perspective on both war and humanity.

UK/ANZ: OneWorld ; French: Le Genevrier ; Japanese: Akane Shobo ; Korea: BIR ; Spanish: Editorial Oceano de Mexico ; Turkish: Kizilay Kultur Sanat Yayinlari

Winner of the 2020 Middle East Book Award!

Latham and Shamsi-Basha simply and charmingly relate Alaa's deeds, enabling young readers to connect closely with their subject. Alaa's admirable actions offer the audience an excellent example of how simple acts of kindness can create large ripples of change.