The Adventures of Abdi facts for kids
Book cover featuring artwork by Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin
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| Author | Madonna |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Olga Dugina Andrej Dugin |
| Cover artist | Olga Dugina Andrej Dugin |
| Country | United States |
| Subject | |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Set in | Middle East |
| Publisher | Callaway |
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Publication date
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November 8, 2004 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 978-0-670-05889-1 |
| OCLC | 56682267 |
| LC Class | PZ8.M26 |
The Adventures of Abdi is a picture book for children. It was written by the famous American entertainer Madonna. The book came out on November 8, 2004, from Callaway Arts & Entertainment.
This story teaches a moral lesson. It was inspired by an old tale, about 300 years old. Madonna heard this story from her Kabbalah teacher. The book tells about a boy named Abdi. He is given a very important job: to deliver a special necklace to the queen. Madonna was also inspired by stories like "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" and other tales from One Thousand and One Nights. The book has 32 pages and beautiful pictures. Russian artists Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin created the illustrations. Madonna helped promote the book by signing copies and appearing on TV shows.
What Happens in the Story?
In a land far away, there lived a young boy named Abdi. He was an orphan. A kind, great jeweler named Eli raised him. One day, the queen asked Eli to make her a special necklace.
When the necklace was ready, Eli gave it to Abdi. Abdi's job was to travel to the royal palace. He needed to give the necklace to the queen on her birthday. Abdi started his long trip across the desert.
One night, while Abdi was sleeping, two Bedouins stole the necklace. They put a live snake in Abdi's bag instead. Abdi did not know about the theft. He reached the palace and met the king. When he opened his bag, the snake appeared! The king became very angry. He ordered Abdi to be put in the dungeon.
Eli soon found out what happened to Abdi. He quickly traveled to the palace, arriving a week later. Eli had strong faith and was very honest. He convinced the king that if the snake was placed around the queen's neck, it would turn into a diamond necklace.
The queen put the snake around her neck. Slowly, it changed into a beautiful, sparkling necklace. The king was amazed! He set Abdi free and gave both Abdi and Eli rewards.
News of Abdi and Eli's magical necklace reached the two Bedouins. They were the ones who had stolen the real necklace. They went to the royal palace to see the king. They brought a big bag filled with real snakes. However, their snakes did not turn into jewelry. Instead, they scared the queen! The angry king ordered them to be thrown into the dungeon forever.
How the Book Was Created
In 2003, Madonna signed a deal to write five children's books. She wanted each book to talk about problems all children face. She hoped the stories would help kids turn tough times into learning chances.
Her first three books were The English Roses (2003), Mr. Peabody's Apples (2003), and Yakov and the Seven Thieves (2004). All these books became bestsellers. Together, they sold over 1.5 million copies around the world. The Adventures of Abdi was the fourth book in this series.
Like her other books, Madonna was inspired by an old story. This one was 300 years old, from a rabbi named Baal Shem Tov. Madonna learned it from her Kabbalah teacher. She wanted to share the main idea of the story. She wrote in the book's introduction, "The power of certainty is without limits." This line is also spoken by the character Eli in the story.
Madonna told The Times newspaper that she loved the settings in "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves". She also liked other folk stories from One Thousand and One Nights. She wanted to create a story that felt similar. She included the idea of "certainty" from Kabbalah. This means believing you can overcome challenges. If you see problems as chances to learn, you can get through them.
The Adventures of Abdi is a 32-page book with a hardcover. Madonna worked with Russian artists Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin. They created all the pictures for the book. This was their first time working with a modern writer. It gave them many chances to draw new things. They could show a desert, a palace, and a small house.
The artists spent almost four months finishing the pictures. First, they picked the most interesting parts of the story. Then, they looked for ideas in libraries and museums. Andrej drew the rough pictures, and Olga painted them. Their favorite picture was of the queen trying on the necklace. They liked showing many different characters in that scene. The picture for the book's cover was the last one they painted.
See also
In Spanish: The Adventures of Abdi para niños
