This series of books combines good stories with easy reading text for children aged six to seven years and over who have just started reading alone. The series has been developed with Alison Kelly who is an expert in early reading.

Almost three centuries have passed since the oldest manuscript of The Thousand and One Nights arrived in Europe. Since then, the Nights have occupied the minds of scholars world-wide, in particular the questions of origin, composition, language and literary form. In this book, Muhsin Mahdi, whose critical edition of the text brought so much praise, explores the complex literary history of the Nights, bringing to fruition the search for the archetype that constituted the core of the surviving editions, and treating the fascinating story of the growth of the collection of stories that we now know as The Thousand and One Nights.

This retelling of the One Thousand and One Nights tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," set in tenth-century Baghdad, is told from the perspective of Marjana, the girl who saves Ali Baba, and brings a fresh perspective to the classic story! Marjana and her little brother, Jamal, who have been slaves of Ali Baba's cruel brother ever since their mother died, are kidnapped by the Forty Thieves one night. They are able to escape, but Marjana is worried for Jamal, as he becomes drawn to their lifestyle and joins a street gang. When Marjana meets Saja, a slave working at the bathhouse, who's also concerned about her little brother, Badi, becoming involved with the street gangs, Saja and Marjana try to get their brothers to become friends, and in turn, become friends themselves, despite Marjana's initial reluctance. Marjana's mistress, however, is more worried about what her husband's fortune will be and convinces Marjana to spy on him when the fortune-teller Abu-Zayed visits. Abu-Zayed predicts that Ali Baba will end up far richer and greater, which sends Marjana's master into a panic, especially when he learns that Ali Baba has found the secret of the Forty Thieves' cave, which indicates that the fortune is coming true. Can Marjana save her brother from joining the street gangs, all the while helping Ali Baba escape the wrath of the Forty Thieves?

The books in the 'Graphic Revolve' series feature some of the world's best stories, retold in a dynamic, graphic novel form.

"This book is supported by a MultiROM, containing a complete dramatized audio recording of the story plus interactive activities."--P. [4] of cover.