The book is a collection of folk tales in Arabic. It is said that a king kills every newly married wife on the morning. Scheherazade, new bride of the king, continues telling stories to the king for 1,001 nights. Finally the king does not kill her and falls in love with her. The tales vary widely: they include historical tales, love stories, tragedies, comedies, poems and so on.

《一千零一夜》是古代阿拉伯民间故事集，内容包罗万象，极富阿拉伯民间色彩。《教育部语文新课标必读丛书:一千零一夜》精选了原著中的若干故事，包括脍炙人口的"阿拉丁和神灯""阿里巴巴和四十大盗""渔夫、魔鬼和四色鱼"等。其情节生动有趣，引人入胜，宛如一个个神奇妙境，是开拓孩子的想象力的必读之书。