Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

McLeod Tastes the Clouds

Author: Wala’a Al-Jaafari

Illustrator: Kamal Sharaf

The original work of this book was made possible through the generous support of the All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) Partners (the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Vision, and the Australian Government). It was prepared by Asafeer Education Technologies FZ LLC and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ACR GCD Partners. Any adaptation or translation of this work should not be considered an official ACR GCD translation and ACR GCD shall not be liable for any content or error in this translation.

As usual, McLeod was gazing at the clouds.

His friend, the Hoopoe bird, landed next him and told him about his wonderful adventure.

McLeod said, “I want to soar in the clouds, too.” Hoopoe replied, “That’s impossible!” as he continued his story...

“My Grandma always told my Grandfather,

“Do you have two wings? Then you can fly.

Do you have two arms? Then don’t even think about it.”

Then Hoopoe flapped his wings, shook his tail and flew away. McLeod was determined to get a pair of wings. He must!

McLeod built a tail and two big wings. He covered the wings with lots of feathers, both big and small.

Then he put on his wings and tail and flapped and flapped and flapped…

But McLeod didn’t even get an inch off the ground. With a look of disappointment, he said, “I just want to taste the clouds.”

Hoopoe said, “That’s impossible!”

My Grandma always told my Grandfather,

“Is your body aerodynamic? Then you can fly.

If it’s not, then you have no business in the air.”

Then Hoopoe flapped his wings, shook his tail, launched his aerodynamic body into the wind and flew away.

McLeod needed an aerodynamic body and will surely find a way to get one.

He built an airplane with an aerodynamic body using lots of pieces of wood, both big and small.

When he finished, he installed the wings and the tail, then Hoopoe helped him pull it up a small slope.

He put his wheelchair in the airplane and started rolling down the slope. He closed his eyes and waited for his plane to soar up high in the air but....

....McLeod didn’t go up in the air! He went down! Boom!

His airplane fell to the ground and broke into pieces instead.

Even his wheelchair broke, too.

McLeod’s eyes were filled with tears as he said, “I just want to taste the clouds.”

Hoopoe said, “That’s impossible”.

My Grandma always told my Grandfather

“If you are fast, then you can fly.

If you are slow, don’t even think about it.”

Dad got McLeod a new electric wheelchair.

He adjusted its power and speed and his wheel- chair zoomed along.

It was super fast!

He turned the speed all the way up.

The chair went faster and faster.

McLeod threw his hands out in the air and closed his eyes.

Then he felt the wind lift his hands higher and higher.

Just then he had a great idea!

McLeod put his airplane back together and fixed the wings and tail. Then he attached his new wheelchair to the airplane parts. McLeod was now ready. It was time to finally taste the clouds.

He switched on the power and turned up the speed. The airplane start- ed to moved forward. A gust of wind to the right, a gust from the left and a gust of air from below. It carried him up, up and away.

Then Mcleod cranked the speed all the way up.

WOW! The airplane flew higher and higher!

Up in the sky, McLeod soared through the clouds.

He tasted them and guess what? They tasted exactly like ice cream!

The End