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32 pp.
| Tiny Owl
| May, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-910328-03-3$16.99
(2)
K-3
Translated by Azita Rassi.
Illustrated by
Marjan Vafaeian.
Persian merchant Mah Jahan collects birds and keeps them "in cages...so that they couldn't...leave her." When her favorite, a parrot, asks her to visit its former colony in India, she does and is shocked when one of the wild birds drops dead. Back home, Mah Jahan tells her parrot what happened--and it drops dead. But it's a ruse: the parrot's friends sent "a story...to teach me how to escape." A thought-provoking, visually striking retelling originally published in Tehran.
Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2019
32 pp.
| Hyperion
| October, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4231-1044-6$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Bruce Whatley.
A pet parrot asks its owner, a rich Persian merchant traveling to India, to tell the parrots there about its wonderful golden cage. Upon receiving the message the parrots fall over, apparently dead--craftily sending an escape-method message to their caged mate. Despite some stereotyping in text and illustrations, this amiable tale is effective in its own obvious way.
32 pp.
| Whitman
| April, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8075-5059-5$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Ande Cook.
A wealthy man showers gifts upon his caged parrot but withholds what the parrot most craves--the freedom to fly away. Bright, lush tropical colors invite the reader into this tale of captive love and the powerful desire to be free. A foreword explains that the story is based on a tale by thirteenth-century Persian poet Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.
32 pp.
| Barefoot
| August, 2001
|
TradeISBN 1-84148-085-1$$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Juan Cáneba Clavero.
In this smooth retelling of a traditional tale from Persia, young Fatima's attempt to escape a prophecy of death leads to a series of mysterious events, including her task of saving Prince Javanmard from an evil spell. When her success is foiled by the robber girl Koli, the magical Patient Stone gives Fatima the chance to redeem herself. Lavish watercolors portray significant parts of the text.
32 pp.
| Viking
| October, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-670-88059-0$$15.99
(4)
K-3
Disguised as a poor man, King Abbas meets three men who tell him of their plan to rob the king by using their special powers: one can whistle anyone to sleep, another sees through walls, and the third can blow a door off its hinges. In the end, they agree to use their powers to help better the kingdom (though how they will do that is never explained). Illustrations with exaggerated angles, curves, and facial features suit the amusing tale.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins
| May, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-06-026763-1$$15.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-06-026765-8$$15.89
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Robert Florczak.
In this evocative retelling of a story from The Arabian Nights, a fairy in a blue jug supplies Settareh with clothes for the prince's New Year celebration; later, Settareh's stepsisters almost thwart the happy ending by turning her into a turtledove. The hyperrealistic illustrations look artificially posed, but the architectural details and richly colored costumes effectively conjure up the Persian setting.
32 pp.
| Clarion
| August, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-395-81133-3$$15.00
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Alisher Dianov.
Frustrated by her husband's meager earnings, Jamell convinces Ahmed to become a fortuneteller. After Ahmed unwittingly fools forty treasure thieves into believing he knows their identities, he is rewarded handsomely by the king. The story, adapted from a traditional Iranian folktale, is clever and funny, and the book is well designed: the text is ostensibly printed on scrolls, and the illustrations are the colors of gemstones.
26 pp.
| Farrar
| October, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-374-37198-9$$16.00
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jude Daly.
In this eloquently retold Christmas legend, brought from Persia by Marco Polo, the three magi offer their gifts to a young child, who gives them a mysterious box in return. Inside is a stone that bursts into flame, symbolizing the faith the people must have in the child's gift to humanity. The richly colored illustrations effectively combine wide open landscapes with delicate details. An author's note provides information about the story's origins.