{"id":26364,"date":"2023-09-19T07:38:19","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T21:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingtime.com.au\/?p=26364"},"modified":"2023-09-19T07:39:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T21:39:01","slug":"pepper-masalah-and-the-flying-carpet-pepper-masalah-1-pepper-masalah-and-the-temple-of-cats-pepper-masalah-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingtime.com.au\/pepper-masalah-and-the-flying-carpet-pepper-masalah-1-pepper-masalah-and-the-temple-of-cats-pepper-masalah-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pepper Masalah and the flying carpet (Pepper Masalah #1) & Pepper Masalah and the temple of cats (Pepper Masalah #2)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n Pepper Masalah and the Flying Carpet<\/em> is a unique addition to the junior readers category for its setting and characters.<\/p>\n Pepper Masalah is a black, panther-like, pet cat who lives on a farm with her owner, Zamir. Zam is motherless, living with his despondent father and immigrant grandmother, Dadi. Dadi is still passing on stories from the old country, stories that Zam can\u2019t be sure are true.<\/p>\n One night, Zam and Pepper are whisked away on the old, yet definitely magical, carpet. After a bumpy, sandy landing they find that Zam can now understand Pepper and the two can converse freely, however they cannot be understood by the young boy who finds them. Believing the carpet can be sold to help his family, the boy takes the carpet and so begins an adventure for Pepper and Zamir to get the carpet back and to find a way home.<\/p>\n This is a short chapter book for children who are competent independent readers, likely 7\u201310-year-olds. It feels similar in length and reading level to the Aussie Nibbles series. The main difference is that the majority of this story takes place on the Arabian Peninsula, a literary setting that will be very new to many Australian children. It also features a main character who is the grandson of immigrants, and this is an important feature of the story.<\/p>\n The best place for this story is in a school library, either as a long take home reader for Grade 3 students, or on a spinner with the other quick reads (isn\u2019t that where we all keep them?). It will add more diversity to the collection and because it is fairly easy to read, many children will gain confidence from completing it.<\/p>\nRosanne Hawke (text) and Jasmine Berry (illustrator), Pepper Masalah and the temple of cats (Pepper Masalah #2)<\/em><\/a>, Wombat Books, July 2023, 72 pp., RRP $11.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761111143<\/h2>\n