News

May 4, 2010
Fire Djinn by Linda Davies Online Review

Set three months after the events of Sea Djinn,Fire Djinn opens with Finn Kennedy and his fellow Light Fighters Georgina and Fred enjoying a night under the stars in the deserts of Dubai. Struck by a plea for help and a vision of destruction they are again plunged into the battle between the Djinns of the Dark and the Light for the life of the world.

Bleaker in tone than the first book; Fire Djinn is just as compelling and entertaining. Ushering in new villains to challenge the at times reluctant heroes with a horrific plot to scorch the face of the world leaving only a chosen few survivors dedicated to serving the dark. With the Light Fire Djinn missing and his forces scattered and broken, Finn and his friends stand alone, his allies in the sea kingdom being of limited use against the earth-bound power of the Dark Fire Djinn.

Linda Davies makes good use of the characters standing in the many shades of gray between the Light and the Dark. I was kept guessing about the motivations and allegiances of a number of the characters up until the end. The secondary characters are proving to be just as interesting as the primary protagonists, with a number of new faces popping up and hopefully staying around to be fleshed out more in future books. A number of the story strands from Sea Djinn were tied up in Fire Djinn and others were expanded and elaborated on. There is a firm sense of continuity from the first book and Fire Djinn felt like a firm continuation of a solid narrative. The main characters are developing nicely and the morals within the tale are subtle and give pause for thought long after the end of the book.

An epic book that starts with a bang and burns through its pages to a satisfying conclusion and set up for further adventures!

 

August 27, 2009
Jerboa Books’s annual calendar Heritage of Arabia 2010 is available once more:

Patricia Al Fakhri’s delightful watercolours capture beautiful images from all over the Gulf, only  to be found by those who have a longing to see the essence of life in the Arab world.

Patricia Al Fakhri is well known throughout Arabia and her evocative watercolours, bring to life the rich heritage of the area.  Her scenes hang in many schools, banks, hotels and private homes.  In recent years Patricia has started painting in Oman and participates regularly in exhibitions in the region.  Patricia also finds time to illustrate children’s books and to teach others how to create beautiful watercolours.

Available from Magrudy’s, Spinneys and many other bookshops.
Dhs 39

 

July 27, 2009
Stock up the piles of books for your reading this summer and take advantage of what we have on offer!

The summer holidays and the approach of Ramadan have meant some exciting developments at Jerboa Books. First we are happy to announce the introduction of Jerboa Kids' Club. Membership is free but if our books are ordered they will be sold at 15% discount through our email sales@jerboabooks.com. Please send an email to sales@jerboabooks.com to make any orders or enquiries.

Freej and Jerboa Books are working together on some wonderful activity and sticker books and the final two in the series of four ( four in Arabic and four in English) are due to be launched in Ramadan.  Please watch the shops for their arrival.  Also during Ramadan Freej and Wafi Mall are getting together to turn the mall into a Freej Filled Zone.  Make sure you visit and take advantage of all the fun on offer.

Watch out for the next update of our newsletter at the start of September.

 

July 2, 2009
UAE based best-selling author, Jessie Kirkness Parker, Receives Gold Gourmand award

A Taste of Arabia has been honoured with a Gold award in the Best Arab Cuisine Cookbook in the World category. Jessie Kirkness Parker is a leading expert on Gulf Cuisine having worked in the area for many years as a food editor, food stylist for film and TV, and now as a consultant in food styling and flavour.

The prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards took place in Paris on 1st July 2009, at a glittering award ceremony at La Comedie Francaise, near the Louvre. Thousands of books were submitted by publishers and after international scrutiny, three finalist were chosen in each category.

‘I am passionate about the flavours of regional recipes so I am deeply honoured to win a Gold award for A Taste of Arabia,’ says Jessie.

At the recent Abu Dhabi Book Fair, Kitab, Jessie felt humbled when she was embraced by many of the local ladies with compliments like ‘thank you for understanding and appreciating our food and culture so well’, ‘You can talk for us’; ‘tell the world about our food and culture’; and ‘it’s delicious, you make it like we make it in our homes’.

A Taste of Arabia is a unique publication: compact and inexpensive but luxurious, combining practical recipes of the region with beautiful, expansive photography – a personal story of recipes which offer an understanding of the cultural background of the region. This bestselling title is the perfect gift for tourists to take home, practical for home cooking and for lovers of cooking – its triple tested recipes work – and a memorable keepsake of living in Arabia.

Jessie also designed and food styled A Taste of Arabia with pages that have great richness, and an eye for detail. Additional photographs, which are a record of the Parkers’ many years in the UAE, are the perfect complement to the food photography which make even the page look edible!

Published by Jerboa Books, A Taste of Arabia is available in Arabic (Dhs 59) and English (Dhs 85) at all Magrudy’s Shops, Borders, Virgin, Jashanmal, Kinokuniya, Bookplus, Dubai Duty Free, Tavola and other good outlets in the UAE.

Please email jane.hodges@jerboabooks.com or gillian.bourke@magrudy.com for JPEGS of pictures from A Taste of Arabia. For further information about the author, please visit her website: www.jerssiekirknessparker.com

 

May 31, 2009
Gourmand World Cook Book Awards


Finalist for the Best Arabic Cuisine Cook Book in the World 2009

 

May 7, 2009
UAE based best-selling author, Jessie Kirkness Parker, honoured by 'Gourmand'

A Taste of Arabia in Arabic has been nominated as a finalist in the Best Arab Cuisine Cookbook in the World category. Jessie Kirkness Parker is a leading expert on Gulf Cuisine having worked in the area for many years as a food editor, food stylist for film and TV, and now as a consultant in food styling and flavour.  

“I am passionate about the flavours of regional recipes so I am deeply honoured by the nomination for A Taste of Arabia,’ says Jessie.  At the recent Abu Dhabi Book Fair, Kitab, Jessie felt humbled when she was embraced by many of the local ladies with compliments  like ‘thank you for understanding and appreciating our food and culture so well’; ‘You can talk for us’; ‘tell the world about our food and culture’; and ‘its delicious, you make it like we make it in our homes.’

A Taste of Arabia is a unique publication: compact and inexpensive but luxurious, combining practical recipes of the region with beautiful, expansive photography - a personal story of recipes which offer an understanding of the cultural background of the region.  This bestselling title is the perfect gift for tourists to take home, practical for home cooking and for lovers of cooking - its triple tested recipes work - and a memorable keepsake of living in Arabia. 

Jessie also designed and food styled A Taste of Arabia with pages that have great richness, and an eye for detail. Additional photographs, which are a record of the Parkers’ many years in the UAE, are the perfect complement to the food photography which make even the pages look edible!  
The prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards take place in Paris on the 1st July 2009, at a glittering award ceremony at La Comedie Française, near the Louvre, comparable to the Oscars because the winners do not know beforehand if they are going to win.  Thousands of books are submitted by publishers, all entries are scrutinised internationally and three finalists are chosen in each category. This recognition places A Taste of Arabia at the forefront of books on Arabic cuisine worldwide. Jessie Parker and her family will be there to hear the result, along with all the authors. It will be night to remember.

Published by Jerboa Books A Taste of Arabia is available in Arabic (Dhs 59) and English (Dhs 85) at all Magrudy’s Shops, Borders, Virgin, Jashanmals, and Kinokuniya, Booksplus, Dubai Duty Free, Tavola and other good outlets in the UAE.