Soumchi is eleven years old, and growing up in British-occupied Jerusalem, just after World War II. His universe is enriched immeasurably when he is given a bicycle, but before he fulfills his dreams of riding into the desert and exploring Africa, he shows his new prize to a friend. Persuaded to swap his bicycle for a new train set. Soumchis series of misadventures begin as he trades away one possession after another--but as he imagines ever more colorful ways of escaping his predicament he finds something he never expected--his first love. With Soumchi , Oz brings to life a protagonist in the tradition of such memorable scamps as Huckleberry Finn; Soumchi is fresh, funny and always engaging.