As Ahmed drives a donkey cart through busy streets and delivers heavy canisters filled with butane gas, he thinks of his father's advice: "Hurry to grow strong...But do not hurry to grow old." Contemporary Cairo is the setting for a young "butagaz boy" to tell the story of the day on which he tells his family he learned to write his own name. Well patterned sentences shaped into a wonderfully paced narrative are extended with full-color watercolor illustrations detailing cultural information. (Ages 5-9)

As Ahmed delivers bottles of propane gas, he treasures a special secret he can't wait to share with his family. "Skillfully, the authors use the secret to sustain suspense...and to highlight the significance of Ahmed's poignant joy in his accomplishment....A handsome, affectionate book."--Kirkus Reviews.