O is for Oman which is a long way from here.
Have you ever been to Oman? I never have and I have never even met someone from Oman. What do you call a person from Oman? An Omanian?
If you want to know about Oman, reading The Turtle of Oman is a good place to begin.
The Turtle of Oman: a novel
by Naomi Shihab Nye
ages 8-12
Greenwillow Books:2014
This is a gentle and poetic story which follows a Aref who must leave his homeland and move to Michigan where his parents will be studying for their PhD’s. Aref does not want to go and has difficulty deciding what to pack. He can’t take the things that are most important to him including his grandfather, Sidi. He spends his final week with his grandfather as they travel and reflect on the things they love about their country. Aref makes lists during his week. I’m a list maker, too so here is a short list of reasons why I like this book:
- The loving relationship between Aref and his grandfather is tender and beautiful.
- I learned that thousands of sea turtles migrate annually to the shore of Oman to lay their eggs.
- This book shows how similar Aref’s life in Oman is to a typical American child’s life. I admit that I had preconceived ideas of life in the Middle East based on news reports.
- Oman has delicious food – pudding, pita bread, falafel, mint tea, tangerines…
- Though not told in verse, the language is lovely and poetic.
- I learned a little about Oman, a country I knew absolutely nothing about.
I’ve never really thought about Oman as a destination but it looks like a really interesting country. Here’s a YouTube video showing a quick view of Oman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ-oOkFs8So
Have you ever traveled to Oman? Do you know anyone who has?
his post is part of the A to Z April Blog Challenge. Here are a few blogs from other participants:
http://shells-tales-sails.blogspot.com/
http://www.fangirlstitches.blogspot.com.au/
I’ve never traveled to Oman. Although I’ve heard about the turtles, I’d never heard about Oman until this blog post.
Scribbles From Jenn – Visiting from the A to Z Challenge
Thanks for stopping by! I’m enjoying reading about places I knew little about.
Claire, this book sounds so nice!
Never heard of the place either! So thank you for introducing us to an unusual land. Your field trips take us to really far away countries!