The Ghoul

A story about facing your fears and accepting differences, inspired by Arabic folk tales.

The villagers are afraid of the “Ghoul.” For years, they’ve tiptoed around the village for fear of disturbing it. The monster doesn’t look like them, and it is believed to eat humans.

One day, the brave Hassan embarks on a dangerous mission to face the long-feared Ghoul. When Hassan finally meets the Ghoul living on top of the mountain, he discovers that the Ghoul is just as terrified of people as they are of him. Hassan and the Ghoul realize that they can still be friends, despite their differences.

A beautifully illustrated story that can be used as a springboard to discuss how we perceive those who are different and how our fears and prejudices may be built on false assumptions.

Taghreed Najjar is a pioneer of modern children’s literature in the Arab world. A graduate of the American University of Beirut, Taghreed started her career as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer of picture books and young adult novels. Her YA novels have been celebrated widely by her readers and various schools in the region have adopted them as part of their curriculum. Her books have been on the White Ravens’ list twice, in 1998 for The Ghoul and in 2014 for Why Not?

Hassan Manasra illustrated numerous picture books for children. He studied art at the University of Balqa’ in Jordan and at the Jordanian National Institute of Arts. His first exhibition “Urban Mood” took place in 2006. He contributed to the production of an animated series Pink Panther and Pals produced by Rubicon & MGM and illustrated several episodes for a famous children series Driver Dan’s Story Train produced by A Productions Ltd. & BBC.