The Little Lantern is a novel aimed at teaching children the virtues of modesty and rapprochement between people. The book is dedicated by author Ghassan Kanafani to his adored niece Lamis, for her eighth birthday. Kanafani died in a car bomb explosion that claimed the life of his niece as well.

The Little Lantern is a story about an honorable king who dies, leaving his only daughter and heiress to the throne. In his last will, the king tells his daughter that in order to become the queen of the Kingdom, she has to bring the sun into the castle.

The princess wakes up the second day and decides to climb up the mountain, hoping to be able to catch the sun and carry it on her back to the castle, but to no avail. Refusing to give up, she continues her quest for the sun and hangs on the walls of the castle a statement rewarding whoever helps her with gems and jewelry, but all in vain.

Sad and helpless, the princess locks herself in her room. Meantime, an old man carrying a small lantern tries to enter the castle but the guards force him out. “If an old man is denied entry to her castle, how does she expect the sun to come in?” he shouts at them and disappears into the alley.

Riddled by his words, the princess summons all the people carrying lanterns in the kingdom to the castle, in the hope of finding that old intriguing man. By nightfall, she suddenly sees a magical view looming in the horizon from across her window, with thousands of men carrying lanterns heading towards the castle. As their number was too large to fit through the small gates of the castle, the princess orders the destruction of the walls so that everyone can come in. Amazed at the sight of the brightly-lit courtyard, she realizes that the small lanterns assembled are the sun that her father sought.