Iran
247
Fuzūnī, Farhād (text)
Madanī, Āzādih (illus.)
Pīšīhānūm wa bačihā (Ms. Cat and her children)
Tihrān: Šabāwīz, 2007 (= 1386 h.š.). – [20] p.
ISBN 978-964-505-249-0
Emigration – Outsider – Communication – Integration
When an epidemic breaks out in
the cat city, a mother cat flees with her four young into the city of cows.
Even though they could live contentedly there, they do not really feel at
home, mainly because the cows gossip a lot about the newcomers behind their
backs. It takes an accident to bring both sides together. When the kittens
fall into the cow neighbour’s washing machine while playing, she frees them
from their unfortunate situation. The cats and cows start talk-ing with each
other and become friends. This picture book shows how misunderstandings and
mistrust develop out of ignorance and exclusion and can only be overcome
with communication. Double-page pictures in brown tones, which open up
unusual perspectives through their twodimensionality, illustrate this
fable-like animal tale. (5+)
248
Nağafī΄, 'Abd-al-Mağīd
35 Dāstān barāy-i nūğawānān (Thirty-five stories for adolescents)
Tihrān: Mu`assasa-i Intišarati Qadyānī,
2008 (= 1387 h.š.). – 224 p.
ISBN 978-964-536-296-4
Everyday life – Family – Society – School – Violence
This volume contains
thirty-five short stories about the life of adolescents from different
social strata in Iran. The topics are broadly distributed. One focus is
family life, such as the relation to parents and siblings and especially
living together with older generations. Experiences at school are also
described. Socially relevant topics such as violence and criminality are
given consideration as well, for instance in a story that deals with a
protection money bribery affair in a large market hall. The author lets most
of his male protagonists in his stories speak for themselves. They narrate
their experiences, problems, and thoughts from the first-person perspective.
As girls only appear marginally, this book, while well worth reading, will
primarily interest male readers. (10+)
249
Rağabī, Mahdī (text)
Tabātabāi, Marīam (illus.)
Mu'amā-i dīwāna-i kala ābi (The riddle of the crazy man with the blue head)
[Tihrān]: Intišārāt-i 'Ilmī wa Farhangī,
2007 (= 1386 h.š.). – 28 p.
ISBN 978-964-445-873-6
Greed – Ignorance – Superstition
This literary fairytale
demonstrates in text and picture what grave consequences greed and ignorance
can have. An old man – the others call him »the crazy one with the blue
head« – asks himself why there are so many stones lying around in his
village. But no one is interested in his reflections. One day, a five-legged
horse strays to him. It is supposed to bring luck to the people in the
village, but instead, it causes greed and avarice. Because the villagers
lack the capacity for self-knowledge, they kill the horse, for they see it
as a sign of disaster. Thereupon giant rocks fall from the sky and destroy
the village. Text and illustrations form a unity, which persuasively conveys
the philosophical point of the story. (10+)
250
Šāhābādi, Hamīd Ridā
Lālāī barāy-i duhtar-i murda (Cradle song for a dead girl)
Tihrān: Našr-i Ufuq, 2008 (= 1387 h.š.). – 155 p.
(Rumān-i Nuğawān; 47)
ISBN 978-964-369-505-7
Iran/1900 – Girl – Poverty – Human trafficking
A girl appears to Zohreh, the protagonist of this novel, in a kind of dream or vision. She tells Zohreh her sad story, which occurred 100 years ago in the past. Back then, her impoverished parents sold her to a white slaver in order to pay their taxes. The abused, wandering girl implores Zohreh to help her find the soul of her grandmother with whom she hopes to find refuge. When Zohreh secretly disappears from home to pursue her mission, she has to face great difficulties. The police pick her up and her brothers, who feel their honour has been insulted by Zohreh’s self-initiated action, wish to punish her harshly. A writer and family friend supports Zohreh and finds documents that prove that young slave women commonly fell victim to prostitution. Realistically and with great sensitivity, the author introduces young readers to a difficult topic in his impressive novel. (12+)