The Story of Hurry

After a major invasion of the Gaza Strip in late 2008, twenty-year-old Mahmoud Barghout decided to become a zookeeper. He saw that the children around him were exhausted by war, and so to provide respite, he set up the Happy Land Zoo. But the war made feeding and caring for the animals impossible—they died of thirst, hunger, or injury—and replacing them meant finding large sums of money and overcoming the blockade or the risk of bringing them in through tunnels connecting the Strip to Egypt. So Mr. Barghout came up with a solution for at least one animal: he dyed two local white donkeys with dark stripes, to create zebras, which visiting children could touch and even ride.

The Story of Hurry recounts the tale of these “made in Gaza” zebras, of an inventive zookeeper just like Mr. Barghout, and of the wondrous capacity of the imagination of children. Written by Emma Williams, together with thought-provoking mixed-media illustrations by Ibrahim Quraishi, this picture book for inquisitive children aged 3 to 103 includes an historical note for parents, teachers, and librarians.

Emma Williams studied history at Oxford University and medicine at London University. As a doctor she has worked in the UK, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the West Bank, the US, and South Africa. Her memoir of living in Jerusalem during the Second Intifada (It’s Easier to Reach Heaven than the End of the Street) came out in 2006. She has four children and currently lives in New York City.

The recipient of numerous international grants and awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, Ibrahim Quraishi explores visual performativity through photography, photo painting, video, film, installation, performance, dance, and theater. He lives in Amsterdam.