A boisterous yet tender tale set along the Silk Road in the late 11th century begins with orphaned Omar rescued from an attack by Samir, a merchant traveling as part of a small caravan. As Omar describes him, Samir is a fast-talking, logic-spinning optimist who dreams of great riches. Their fellow travelers soon reveal multiple death threats against Samir from angry buyers of his wares. Omar, now called Monkey, negotiates how much his various acts of assistance are worth to Samir as a string of assassins makes attempts on Samir’s life. The would-be killers include a Viking Berserker, a Persian dervish, a Chinese poisoner, Bedouin raiders, and a rogue Roman legion, in addition to a mysterious figure known as “Cid.” Colorful characters, vivid settings, high adventure, and surprising twists abound in these delightful tales narrated by Monkey in flashback. Monkey often ruminates on love, inspired by both an ache to belong and his crush on a fellow traveler. And what Monkey says often contradicts what is true, none more than his claims to dislike Samir. The eventual reveal of his tales’ audience explains his tactics, and by volume’s end it’s clear that in Samir he knows he has found a family. Occasional full-page paintings enhance a volume concluding with a marvelous author’s note detailing more about the Silk Road, the area where these stories are set (between modern-day Xinjian Province in China and modern-day Tajikistan), and Samir and Monkey’s Sogdian ethnicity (an ancient Iranian people who were successful merchants). (Ages 8-11)

NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER

BEST OF THE YEAR:
NPR - Booklist - School Library Journal - Chicago Public Library - Evanston Public Library - Kirkus - Wall Street Journal

The Silk Road comes to life in this picaresque epic adventure with twists and turns and a wonderful surprise ending from Printz Medalist Daniel Nayeri

This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called “Seller of Dreams”. The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey’s life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir— furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life—as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he’ll be a free man...but will they all survive that long?

Fans of Salman Rushdie's Haroun and The Sea of Stories and The Little Prince will fall in love with the bond between Monkey and Samir—in this swashbuckling all-ages page-turner from national bestseller Daniel Nayeri and featuring full-color illustrations from Daniel Miyares.

P R A I S E

“Adventurous, funny and nimble. Daniel Nayeri understands this relationship between storytelling and magic, and finds every opportunity to celebrate it. ”
—The New York Times

“Daniel Nayeri and artist Daniel Miyares conjure a richly colored 11th-century realm of merchants and swindlers, camels and donkeys, caravanserai and spice bazaars, and the gaudiest array of mercenaries ever assembled in a book for young readers.”
—The Wall Street Journal

4 STARRED REVIEWS

★“An epic ­adventure with an enduring message about love and family.”
— School Library Journal (starred)

★ “Filled with the multicultural hustle and bustle of the Silk Road, enlivened by the unpredictable nature of unreliable storytellers, and adorned with whimsical, colorful illustrations, this is a strange, wondrous, and creative tale. Can family be found along the Silk Road, or will everyone ultimately betray you? An enticing taste of a rich historical world."
—Kirkus (starred)

★ “Readers will find more than expected, including tender philosophies, complex characterizations, heaps of humor, a masterful twist, and most importantly, just a great story, beautifully told.”
—Booklist (starred)

★ “Blends playful humor, solid pacing, and fully realized characters into a witty, assassin-studded traveler’s yarn that also serves as a memorable, lively portrait of the 11th-century Silk Road.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Nayeri’s immersive writing style brings a you-are-there energy to the depiction of the harsh but gorgeous environment of the Silk Road, and an informative author’s note further details the geography of the trail, its economic and social value, and the many people who traversed it. The book ends with a simple but profound reminder that love comes in many forms, it is almost always messy and unpredictable, and it is almost always worth every effort toward it.”
—BCCB

“Daniel Nayeri has a gift. The child that reads this will not forget it, and how many books that come out for this age range can say the same? Is there anything else out there like it? I will simply say this: If you hand this book to someone, they will definitely have an opinion of it. You may, in fact, end up loving it in the end, or cursing it to the heavens. A tome with a soul tied inextricably to that of its titular character. Better read it.”
—Betsy Bird, SLJ's Fuse 8 Blog