A prince declares that he will only marry someone who loves books and possesses the gift of storytelling. When the heroine is presented before him, she rises to the challenge by weaving an extraordinary tale filled with outrageous exaggerations, impossible adventures, and magnificent lies.

Inspired by Palestinian folklore and oral storytelling traditions, A Story That Begins and Ends with Lies is rich in humor and imagination, playfully blurring the boundaries between truth and creation, while celebrating the art of storytelling and the deep traditions of Palestinian folklore.

A distinctive feature of the story is its strong sense of humor and  reversal of familiar fairy-tale tropes: rather than being rescued, it is the heroine herself who ultimately outsmarts the situation and saves the prince. This inversion gives the tale a fresh, empowering dynamic that both entertains and surprises readers.

Raouf Karray’s expressive illustrations bring the narrative to life with remarkable energy and imagination, enriching the text and creating a vivid visual world that enhances its folkloric and humorous tone. Together, text and illustration offer a timeless reading experience that appeals to both children and adults.