The Journey of Ahmad and Layla is very much about trust – between family and friends, with a stranger, in God. Both hope and fear are necessary in life, but this children’s story is about hope. It seeks to make the point that there are genuinely good people in the world who can be trusted, even when you meet them for the very first time.

Given the way of the world, however, I would nevertheless suggest that any parent who reads this story to their children should talk about it with them afterwards, so that they are aware that this is just a make believe story – and that if in real life a stranger in a car did offer them a lift, they should never accept it without first asking their parents’ permission.