Iran
(Persian)
246
Husaini, Muhammad Hasan (text)
Rahmati
Uwini,
Mariam
(illus.)
Aharin-i
pidarbuzurg
(The last grandfather)
Tihran : Kanun-i Parwariš-i Fikri-i Kudakan wa Naugawanan, 2003 (= 1382 h.š.). – 68 p.
ISBN 964-432-455-2
Grandson – Grandfather – Death – Grief – Acceptance
Hamid loves his grandfather dearly. Especially after the grandmother’s
death, a close relationship develops between the two. The boy understands his
grandfather’s sadness and loneliness and spends a lot of time with him. When
the other family members have to listen to the old man’s childhood memories
for the umpteenth time, they complain about the endless repetition. Hamid is
the only one who is still interested in the stories of his grandfather, to
whom he has to say a last goodbye one day. With meticulous observation and a
natural empathy for portraying the feelings of people, this book describes how
a child deals with old age and the death of a beloved person. (8+)
247
Kišawarzi
Azad,
Margan
(text)
Safi 'i, Farsid (illus.)
'Gir az hud
hic kas nabud (No one has been alone except for God)
Tihran : Šaba~wiz, 2003 (= 1382 h.š.). – [16] p.
ISBN 964-505-024-3
Man – Woman – Love – God
Once upon a time, there was a lonely man. Once upon a time, there was a lonely
woman. The woman was sadly gazing at the flowing river. The man was gazing
equally sadly at the sky. That’s the beginning of the story of Man and Woman
and Love – and of God. Mar~n Kiš~warz§ }z~d recounts this old tale in a language full of
simplicity, poetry, and great literary merit. The hand-written text is
harmoniously integrated into the expressive illustrations dominated by radiant
tones of red. The illustrations both reflect the tale’s archaic character
and interpret them from a modern perspective. (6+)
248
Lutfallah, Dawud
(text)
Ha´if, Bahram (illus.)
Paranda wa fal (The bird and the prophecy)
Tihran : Kanun-i Parwariš-i Fikri-i Kudakan wa Naugawanan, 2003 (= 1382 h.š.). – [36] p.
ISBN 964-432-446-3
Poetry – Wish – Everyday life – Adolescence
This volume contains 15 modern poems that use fantasy and dreams to deal with
topics that are important to teenagers. The first poem, The bird and the
prophecy, lends its title to the whole book. It is inspired by the
traditional wishing game with a bird in a cage and by The Divan, the
famous poetry collection written by the renowned Persian poet Hafez.
The poetic language and the hand-written text form a harmonious entity with
the pictures of well-known illustrator Bahram Ha´if that impressively reflect
the fantasy world of the poems. (10+)
249
Muradi
Kirmani, Hušang
(text)
Rustami, Ardišir (illus.)
Na tar wa na hušk (Neither damp nor dry)
Tihran : Mu ‘in, 2003 (= 1382 h.š.). – 107 p.
ISBN 964-7603-20-7
Literary fairy tale – Princess – Hummingbird – Love – Faithfulness
Princess Golpar and a hummingbird have fallen in love with each other. When
the bird asks for Golpar’s hand in marriage, however, the king tries to
prevent this by demanding that he complete a task first: He is to bring the
king a piece of wood that is neither damp nor dry, neither straight nor bent.
Thus begins an adventurous story at the end of which the bird has passed the
test but lost his beloved to someone else. With a great deal of skill and
creativity, the author combines fantasy world and real world and employs
modern language – a fact that is rather untypical for a fairy tale. Despite
the bitter and pitiable fate of the bird, a sometimes humorous sometimes sober
tone resonates in the text. (10+)