It was a cold winter afternoon before Christmas. My parents and I were sitting on the bench (长椅) at Washington Union Station, waiting for the train. A boy sat near us. His old jacket and dirty hands seemed to show that he was homeless.

“He must be cold and hungry. Maybe I should help him,” I said to myself.

Just at that time, a man walked to him, “Excuse me, I bought two boxed meals for my son and me, but one is enough for us. We hate to waste food. Can you help us?”He handed the boy a boxed meal.

The boy thanked him and opened the box happily. Suddenly he stopped. He ran to an old woman in dirty clothes, “A man brought me this warm meal but I just finished eating. Can you help me?” He placed the box in the old woman's hands.

“Sure, son, but you need to share the sandwich and cake with me. It's too much for me.”

We were all touched. Dad went away and soon returned with two cups of coffee and a salad. He went to the boy and the woman, “Excuse me ...”

I ran into a supermarket and bought something with my money. It was so cold that afternoon but I felt warm inside.

The Cat Man of Aleppo tells a true story of an unbelievable man named Alaa. Alaa chooses not to leave his beloved hometown when the civil war in Syria reaches his city. He stays behind as an ambulance driver and helps with medical work.

Gradually he finds a lot of cats that have been left behind as people leave the country. Alaa and his neighbors begin working together to take care of the cats. Word about “the Cat Man” spreads and donations from many countries arrive. More and more people join him in caring for the cats. And a sanctuary(避难所) is built to house the cats and other animals. Alaa’s voluntary work soon spreads to the wider community—a playground, the digging of a well, and an orphanage(孤儿院). This book is about humanity(人性) at its finest. It will no doubt encourage kids and adults like to do what they can to make a difference to the world.

Besides its amazing true story, another great thing about this book is how it came to fruition. One of the two writers Irene Latham first learned about the Cat Man of Aleppo in 2016. She wanted to write about it but said I knew I wanted to share this story, but I wasn’t sure how — I am not from Syria...” Several years later, Irene met Karim Shamsi-Basha, a writer from Syria and knew the people of Aleppo.

The two finally worked together on this story. Irene and Karim’s partnership is a beautiful example of collaboration(合作) when sharing stories outside of our own communities.