The theme of this novel is to encourage children to have a wider viewpoint toward the surrounding world. The author's motto is not to limit yourself to the barriers, want a revolutionary change for the taboos, and think global rather than local. This novel focuses on the need for an educational system that would orient children within their own world enabling them to play a useful part to take a lead in solving their problems. It is filled with hope, stamina for life, need for education, and awareness; portraying realities of life.
The story is about the devastating impact of unemployment on children. It is about a boy who takes an eye-opening journey to Tehran, the Capital of Iran to learn lessons of tolerance, aiming high, and following one's dreams. During the few months he lives on the streets, Latif learns more life lessons than he would have done with many years of education. He experiences harsh living conditions, discrimination, and humiliation, among others.
At this young age, he has a lot of confusion and cannot figure out what is wrong with a system that sanctions such a life for children. The experiences of five of his friends add more depth to the story. Latif's fragile soul almost crashes witnessing elements of poverty and helplessness and observing that no matter how hard his father and many others try, they still remain poor and powerless.
In the beginning, Samad Behrangi gives a detailed description of the material world surrounding his hero, the behaviors, conversations, and conducts of all players, as he believes the material environment plays a major role in building up the characters of the people. But as soon as the story kicks off, it moves forward with a fast pace of the power and strength of life itself, taking the reader along with it.
Readers meet people of different social strata, with voices of each adding depth and excellent character development.
Latif spends a great deal of time outside a toy store wishing to have toys to play with and has fascination about one particular camel who later becomes his mentor and takes him on an imaginary tour to see the other side of the society, gives him awareness as to how the system functions.
The real awakening, however, is more of a wake-up call. Latif suddenly realizes that he has been living in a fantasy world and that being an observer with big dreams is not enough. Instead of setting a goal to achieve happiness and success, he realizes that he must find a way to identify the causes of those social problems and find solutions for them in an effort to build a better life for everyone.