  | Camel library : a true story from Pakistan Author: Abbas, Marzieh | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Meet Roshan the camel. He spends his days carrying firewood with his human, Murad, to feed their family. One day, a pandemic sweeps through their home country of Pakistan, closing the schools and public libraries. Many children, especially in rural areas, were left without access to learning materials. Roshan and Murad get a call for help to carry books. Day after day, they set out with books to lend out to children they meet.
| Illustrator: | Shaikh, Anain |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (06/15/25)
School Library Journal (+) (06/01/25)
Booklist (07/09/25)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 06/01/2025 K-Gr 3—With his livelihood threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, a firewood seller in rural Pakistan repurposes his pack animal as a mobile library and pivots from delivering wood to delivering books. In first-person narration from the fictionalized perspective of Roshan the camel, readers learn the true story of this camel library, which connected communities and kept them supplied with books amid school and library closures. Roshan's naivete adds humor and creates an authentically childlike voice that engages young readers and makes it easy to follow the narrative. A few words may be unfamiliar to Western readers, but their meanings are easily understood through contextual clues. Shaikh's digital illustrations show the contrast between Roshan's "dull and dreary" life before the pandemic and the joyful exuberance he helped to foster in the communities he served. Sharp-eyed readers may spot a few favorite books among the collection displayed on Roshan's back. Back matter includes fun facts about camels and photographs of the real camel and his human who inspired the story. VERDICT This celebration of creativity and resilience is a first purchase for school and public libraries.—Amy Reimann - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
