A City of a million and one cats, a Spirit, and stems growing out of Haroun's the cat's nose. What a silly and fun read filled with vibrant illustrations.

The Jasmine Sneeze is a picturebook written and illustrated by Nadine Kaadan. Haroun, the cat, likes nothing better than to spend his days sleeping in the sunlit courtyards of Damascus. But one thing always ruins his sleep; jasmine! Haroun can’t stand the sweet-scented flowers. Their pollen sends him into fits of sneezes! So one day, Haroun hatches a plan to fix the problem. But little does he know that in doing so he deeply angers the Jasmine Spirit who plans her revenge in her own crafty and hilarious way.

The Jasmine Sneeze is a story that gives a small insight into the culture of Damascus, at least in relation to jasmine. In lovely illustrations, reader see the silly cat Haroun suffer through the sneezing fits near the jasmine. He hatches a plot to stop the scent of jasmine from making him sneeze- but as expected in a fable from any culture, things do not go as planned. His efforts anger the spirit of the jasmine and suffers the consequences, at least until he makes it right. I love that the author of the work wrote about her own culture. I like that a little more of the culture of Syria was given at the end of the book. My only problem was that I wanted a even more of the folklore and culture. However, the illustrations were wonderful, and I did enjoy the little glimpse

So sweet! The story inspired by author's great grandmother's jasmine tree is such a delightful read with whiimsical, fun illustrations along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book with warm undertones and adorable cat at the center of it.

The Jasmine Sneeze by Nadine Kaadan tells the story of Haroun, a sassy cat living in Damascus, Syria. Haroun loves to take naps around the city. What he doesn't like is the smell of jasmine. It makes him sneeze. Haroun takes it upon himself to eradicate the jasmine from the city. Little does he know, but the Jasmine Spirit has a thing or two to say about that! Hilarious hijinks ensue!

My cubs and I enjoyed reading this quirky story. Gorgeous art accompanied the tale. I love the scent of jasmine, but I did so feel for Haroun! It's reasonable to try and get rid of allergens, no matter how sweet they smell. Great addition to any child’s library.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Myrick Marketing & Media for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Such as sweet and interesting story. A local Damascus cat gets the sneezes from the growing jasmine. He does an evil deed to ride his allergies of the scent, which brings about the jasmine spirit who curses the cat until he learns his lesson.

Haroun, the buggy-eyed cat, loves nothing better than to laze and sleep in the warm sunlit courtyards of Damascus. What a lucky guy he is. But pampered Haroun has a problem, one that causes him great anguish. The beautiful fragrance of the jasmine flowers continually keeps him awake. They cause him to sneeze non-stop and he's had enough. It's time for him to attack that glorious smell and grant himself some peace.

He decides he knows exactly how to eradicate this problem. He takes it upon himself to be the exterminator of this beautiful aroma, loved by so many, that wafts through the airwaves non-stop. Unbeknownst to him the Jasmine Spirit is watching his every move and she is not pleased. She counter-attacks his feline efforts in a very fitting and funny way. Did Haroun learn his lesson and will things be restored and get back to normal? Who wins the battle of keeping custody of that heavenly jasmine scent in Damascus?

The illustrations are expressive and the colour pallet is vibrant and colourful. Haroun, although a bit naughty, is a very lovable little character. The author has included educational information about jasmine and Damascus for older readers to absorb. I would suggest that this book be included in a classroom or school library setting. It's great to introduce kids to countries like Syria and let them observe it apart from all the negativity that surrounds this proud country today. I highly recommend this book.

This is a really cute book! The illustrations are wonderful and the story is a quick read. It could be considered a folktale-ish story and will allow children to learn about another culture.

This was a sweet story about a cat, Haroun, and how much he disliked the scent of jasmin. Kids will love hearing how he tries to stop the smell and how the spirit of the jasmine teases him into liking it! The illustrations are lovely and I can't wait to find a copy of the book as I am sure it will look even better in color! Simply wonderful!

Haroun the cat does not like the smell of Jasmine, it makes him sneeze. He comes up with a rather interesting way to spoil the smell. The Jasmine Fairy is just as creative when she punishes him for what he has done. Children will love at the results of Haroun's situation. The illustrations are bright and fun and very detailed. They support and enhance the storyline, especially the colours used and how they portray the mood of the story. There are wonderful details in the back that offer more information about Jasmine, Damascus and the historical context of the story that add more for older readers. This is a nice way to see another side to Syria than what is portrayed on the news. This would make a great addition to a school or class library especially in the multi-cultural content.

This is a lovely children's title for preschool and early elementary children. The illustrations are bright and fun and very detailed. They support and enhance the storyline. The mischievous cat has his own appeal, but the details in the back that offer more information about Damascus and the historical context of the story make this a real winner.

Poor Haroun! I love cats, and I learned a lot about jasmine from the note at the end of this book. It was wonderful.

I loved this book. The illustrations are beautiful. I especially loved the colors. They were soft and seemed exotic in a way that fit with the story. I felt sorry for the poor cat who still had to sneeze, but I still liked the story. I was especially pleased with the little extra in the back, explaining the history of the story.