The Adventures of Abdi

Five Books for Children #4

by Madonna, Olga Dugina (Illustrator), Andrej Dugin (Illustrator)

"The power of certainty is without limits."

Abdi is a little boy who has been given a very big task. He is to deliver the most precious necklace in the world -- made by Eli, his teacher and a master jeweler -- to the queen. Along the way he is robbed in the desert, thrown in a dungeon, and has a surprising encounter with a snake. But no matter what obstacles he faces, Abdi never gives up hope, guided by Eli's wisdom that everything that happens in life is for the best.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Spirituality, Literature, Spanish Literature

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American pop singer-songwriter. Through her music career, she has also gained some notability as a dancer, record producer, film producer, actress, author and a fashion icon. She is a multiple Grammy- and Golden Globe-award winner, known for her ambitious music videos, stage performances and use of sexual and religious themes in her work.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork.

[Mai M Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

القصة حلوة فيها طابع عربي حلو .. بالنسبة لي ده غريب انه يطلع بالشكل الحلو ده من حد اجنبي اللي هي مادونا المغنية المعروفة

بس النهاية حستها ناقصة حاجه

الرسومات جميلة جدًا ومليانة تفاصيل.. هصورها ف فيديو ع انستجرام mai.designer92@

[naviya · Rating 2 out of 5]

the illustrations are so lovely but the book is nonsense

[AURORA RU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teksts, kā jau M.Ričijai - drusku dīvains (un bez stāsta morāles!) bet ilustrācijas ir fantastiskas! Madonna - stāvi pie ratiem, šoreiz 5 stars goes to Olga Dugina and Andrey Dugin 👋🥰

[Heather Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet fairy tale…

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastical tale, like the Arabian Nights stories of old. It is filled with tricksters, thieves, innocent heroes, wise old men, helpful animals and magic that pops out of nowhere. It’s hard to place faith in someone who claims that everything in life will turn out all right in the end. You’d think that someone who’s lived for any length of time would know better or give better advice.

But the boy Abdi believes this simple adage. His naïve faith naturally leads him into trouble and it’s an unexpected miracle that sets him free.

The illustrations in this book are astounding, filled with improbable costumes, elaborate detail and weird juxtapositions that have you blinking and doing double-takes. On one page, a man charms a snake wound around his head like a turban. On the back cover, a snake’s body sports a man’s torso—who is also holding a pipe as if charming himself! A king’s court features winged cats, frogs with stones set in their bodies, a deer-like animal with a human head, et al. Curious headgear and elaborate weaponry dot these pages.

It’s a heady blend of the real and surreal. I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes the bizarre and the glorious along with a magical story.

[Iluta Jakubovska Solovjova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Šoreiz aizceļojām uz austrumu zemēm, kur iespējams ir viss. Reiz dzīvoja zēns, bārenis Abdi, kuru pie sevis bija pieņēmis ģimenes draugs Eli, kurš bija izcils juvelieris. Kādu dienu pie viņiem ieradās karaļa sūtnis un pasūtīja kaklarotu karalienes dzimšanas dienai. Tai bija jābūt ļoti skaistai un īpašai. Un...jābūt gatavai daudz reiz ātrāk nekā parasti šādu darbu izgatavoja. Ko nu? Karaļa pavēlei jāklausa. Juvelieris strādāja dienu un nakti. Abdi palīdzēja, cik varēja un beigās viņam tika uzticēts svarīgais uzdevums rotu nogādāt pašam karalim. Sākumā viss gāja labi līdz zēnu miegā apzaga un rotas lādītes vietā ievietoja čūsku.

[Isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story teaches children about the importance of not giving up when they are struggling but to keep going and to stay engaged when they find something hard. This book can be hard going but if the reader continues to read the book they made fine the sense of humour funny which may encourage them to read the whole book.

I would recommend the book because the sense of humour is funny; when the queen is given a snake necklace. I enjoyed the Illustrations because I felt they conveyed the story well.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the mentor/mentee relationship, and how the mentor was so competent and certain in his belief that everything will work out. However, I do take issue with the message that any situation they find themselves in is for the best because some unfortunate situations you are forced into are not for the best and believing so can be detrimental to your mental health and ability to improve your circumstances.

[João Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ainda que talvez um pouco simplistas ou inverosímeis as mensagens que estas histórias de Madonna tentam transmitir (neste livro específico, a mensagem central é «O poder da certeza não conhece limites. Tens que continuar sempre a acreditar que tudo o que acontece vem por bem.»), a verdade é que acabamos por gostar muito de as ler. Eu pelo menos, gostei!

[Anna Azarenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This is the job that we have been given. We have no other choice, so we must be certain we can do it. And remember that everything we have been driven in life is always for the best. Do you understand?”

And those drawings by Olga and Andrej Duginy 😍

[Sandra (Page by Page) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it's about staying positive (tho I don't like how it was portrayed in the book) and about karma (classic!). The illustrations are pretty and creepy at the same time. Idk man, I'm not too invested in this book.

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book about thieves getting their comeuppance and how believing everything will turn out alright actually makes it true. A bit of magic is all it takes, of course.

[Teodora Doncheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations by Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of Madonna's books for children. The story is okay, but the illustrations by Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin are lovely.

[Matthew Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Amazing illustration.

[Maru Mikkor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[Maya Lane DeGala Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very cute book.
It’s like set in India I think.
There’s lots of Indian people.
Eli and Abdi are greedy people.

[J. Blair Hartman III · Rating 3 out of 5]

the pictures are more stars than that...

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly I have found the Madonna series of books to be fun great reading, each on targe to deliver a parable to children and adults alike.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story but it lacked finesse and beautiful language. The pictures are superb.

[Tanti Moelyono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abdi never gives up hope, guided by Eli's wisdom that everything that happens in life is for the best.

[Dimitra Karatza]

The adventures of Abdi is full of secrets and symbolism! She shares hidden gifts once again!

[Wijdan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know this book was written by THE Madonna and I was surprised when I read it was the singer. I was captivated by the title so I bought it immediately to read it for my 6 year old son. We both liked the story and the illustration. Great book and I recommend it.

[Tasneem Zafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"the power of certainty is without limits. In life, there will be many tests you will have to face. You must hold on to the belief that everything that happens is for the best."

A very entertaining tale of a young boy named abdi who was an orphan raised by a a great jeweller named Eli . Abdi goes on a journey to deliver the precious diamond Necklace to the king's palace for the queen's birthday. Along the way abdi's robbed by two Bedouins who steel the real necklace and replace it with a real snake while abdi was asleep in the desert. He gets to the palace and meets the king. The king gets really upset and orders him to be thrown in the dungeon when he finds out what's inside the box. Eli comes along a week later and because of his faith and honesty, he convinces the king that once the appeared to be a real snake is placed on the queens neck, it will turn into a precious diamond necklace and so does the queen. The king greatly rewards both abdi and Eli and the two bad Beduins who stole the real necklace at first hears abdi's story and go to see the king with a large bag stuffed with real snakes that did nothing but frightens the poor queen. Needless to say, the king wasn't pleased and orders the men to be thrown into the dungeon.

A standing ovation for the wonderfully detailed drawings. I can just look at 'em for hours!!

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought there were so many better options for the direction this story could have gone. The pictures were frustrating and bizarre. There are pages with no words and then pages with no pictures, even up to four pages in a row without pictures. I tried to come up with an advantageous reason why this was done, but I couldn't. None of the full spreads of illustrations looked necessary to justify picture-less pages. When Abdi meets the King his turban is done carelessly where it really looks more like suddenly Abdi has thick white hair. The caravan is creepy with their colossal-sized heaped load having heads bundled in and sticking out, along with a couple mummied-wrapped men within a walking man's turban. In one scene the King's company have marbled heads instead of faces. And I'm wondering why the servants surround the Queen are dwarfs. I'm not sure if it is meant from some sort of legendary folklore thing, but it just feels disrespectful. I have no idea what the animal with the human face bowing before the Queen is about.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

True to form, Madonna produced a wonderful story, both in content as well as in illustration.

In this story, “Abdi is a little boy who has been given a very big task. He is to deliver the most precious necklace in the world – made by Eli, his teacher and master jeweler – to the queen. Along the way he is robbed in the desert, thrown in a dungeon, and has a surprising encounter with a snake. But no matter what obstacles he faces, Abdi never gives up hope, guided my Eli’s wisdom that everything that happens in life is for the best.”

This story teaches us that no matter what is required or imposed upon us, we should embrace it as it will all turn out for the best. In this story, even as Abdi and Eli are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, their ability to overcome them brought much reward.

[Sweetdhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

pinjem punya Mei..
Ceritanya bagus...tapi ga sedahsyat Mr Peabody's Apple..
Dari tiga buku yang dipinjemin Mei, paling suka Mr Peabody deh..

Buku yang ini gambar2nya yang kereeeeeeeeeeeeeeen...
aneh bin ajaib bin ga masuk akal..

Plus dari gambar itu rasa2nya ada yang dikenal deh...
Ilustrasi waktu Abdi nemuin raja, ada dua binatang yang dideket raja..
Bermuka macan bersyarap rajawali..
Langsung inget bab pengantarnya Muhammad, Lelaki Penggenggam Hujan..
Ada crta ttg 4 binatang aneh di sebuah naskah kuno..salah satu nya adalah binatang dengan ciri-ciri digambar tersebut..

hmmm, apa naskah kuno itu beneran ada yaaa?

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am usually wary of celebrity authors...

However Modonna has done a fabulous job with this tale.

The husband-and-wife team of Olga Dugina and Andrej Dugin have created intricate and just-a-little over-the-top illustrations that really compliment and enhance this plot-driven story.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amazing illustrations of Olga & Andrej Dugin are so lovely - they bring life to the pages of Abdi, and transport the reader to a mysterious kingdom of desert and caravans. Madonna writes another lesson book, about how believing in things makes them real. As with her previous kids books, it's a good lesson, although less clear than Mr Peabody or even the Roses. On story alone, this is just barely a 3 star read - the illustrations lift and transport it to 4 stars though!