Terry Marzell's Reviews > The Hungry Coat: A Tale from Turkey

Demi. The Hungry Coat: A Tale from Turkey. New York, New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 2004. Target Audience: Age 5-10. Reading Level: 5.9. Length: 36 pages. Christopher Award. When the wise man Nesrettin Hoca attends a banquet hosted by a friend, he is disappointed to discover that he is ignored because he’s shabbily dressed. He leaves the banquet to go home to change, and when he returns, he is suddenly treated with respect. To point out to his host and the other guests that you shouldn’t judge a person by his clothes, Nesrettin pretends to feed his coat, explaining that, “it was the coat—and not me—that you invited to your banquet.” The text is accompanied by striking illustrations in paint and ink featuring vivid colors, ornamental borders, and Islamic artistic characteristics. I especially liked the two-page spread at the very end. The protagonist is a well-known folk character in Islamic lore. The message is universal, and transcends the culture represented. Sources: the author offers background information on the cultural figure at the center of the story, but provides no specific references to sources. CSULB Class 3 Traditional Literature—Folktale.