The village people of Paghman in Afghanistan grow beautiful produce - plums, pears, pistachios, and cherries. In summer after the harvest Yamo's father takes his sweet fruit to the market. Usually it is older brother Haroon who accompanies his father but this year Haroon is not here.
"There is a war in Yamo's country. And his brother is a soldier."
When Yamo, his father and Pompa the donkey arrive at the market they set up a stall. His father will sell the plums and he tells Yamo to walk around the town to sell the cherries. Yamo has been practising his call "Cherries here! Sweet little suns! Cherries from Paghman!" At first no one seem interested but finally a little girl buys some and from then on the cherries sell quickly. When all of the cherries are sold. Yamo races back to tell his father. They enjoy a bite of lunch and then work hard to sell the rest of the plums. On the way home his father tells Yamo he has a surprise gift. It is a pure white lamb.
"It will be the first sheep his family has ever owned."
So far this sounds like a book you could share with a younger child aged 7+ but the words on the next page suggest this book is better suited to an older primary group:
"In the winter, the village was destroyed in the war. It no longer exists."
The most beautiful village in the world is the first book in a series of three - the series is called Yamo's Village.
I suggest trying to find all three books. Here is the Kirkus Star review of Return to the most beautiful village in the world.
Yutaka Kobayashi from Japan is a "frequent visitor to the Islamic countries of Asia and the Middle East ... and the main themes of his words reflect these visits." Dust jacket burb.
The most beautiful village in the world is a truly international book - Japanese author, set in Afghanistan, and the English edition is published in New York.
Here is the Japanese title: せかいいちうつくしいぼくの村
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