SHABANU

Westerners might consider this beautiful story to be a fairytale. Shabanu, a thirteen-year-old Pakistani nomad, is midwife to a camel birth, repairs saddles, is promised in marriage to a much older man and goes to the camel fair with her father. Through his experience as a UPI correspondent in Pakistan, Staples shares his insight into Shabanu's culture, religion, language and lifestyle. The narrator does a flawless job and even imparts a subtle lesson in the nomad's language. Men, women and children and a wide range of emotions are effectively rendered. Though intended for a young adult audience, Shabanu introduces a culture unknown to those of all ages. S.G.B. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 95]