The Phoenix of Persia

The Phoenix of Persia - cover image and web link
Buy this wonderful book here…

The Phoenix of Persia

By Sally Pomme Clayton,  illustrated by Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif, published by Tiny Owl.

An incredible and innovative book!   It is produced as a collaboration between many organisations, including Arts Council England and City of London University.

The Phoenix of Persia is an ancient story from Iran and often stories would be set to music as part of the story telling, bringing the story to life.  It is about a mythical bird, the Simorgh, who takes care of a tiny baby, who grows up to become Prince Zal, the hero of many stories in an epic story from Iran called the Shahnameh.

For thousands of years, in many cultures around the world, stories have been accompanied by music and poems, with illustrations bringing the story to life.

This new book, brings all of those aspects together, a story from times long gone, illustrations which are exceptionally colourful and imaginative. Music is brought to you via a QR code onto any smart device. The story comes alive and is read to you with accompanying music, such a good idea!

The Teachers Resource Pack is full of brilliant information and ideas of how to use the book in the classroom. A terrific resource, for literacy, arts, music and PSE.

The Phoenix of Persia is about a baby who is much longed for by the King and Queen, but he is rejected by the King as he has white hair. He is taken away to the mountains and left. The Simorgh bird, who is flying overhead, hears the cries and takes the baby to bring up as her own.

This is a story with a happy ending, but I will leave that for you to read and find out.

Book image and web linkBuy this book here, with free delivery!

The author, Sally Pomme Clayton, is  a story teller and a dream weaver, captivating all with her words on folk tales and forgotten myths, among many other things too.

The illustrator, Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif is from Tehran and in the Teachers Resources you can find out just how some of the techniques can be created.

Tiny Owl Publishers have created a beautiful book and an amazing resource which will bring diversity directly into children’s lives both at home and at school.

We thoroughly  recommend for ages from 3 – 11 years and for parents too.

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout logo - image and web link
Books and authors, around the world…

 

 

Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.

Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.

We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.

Ehsan Abdollahi at The House of Illustration

 

Ehsan AbollahiEhsan is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, his work is published through Tiny Owl Publishers.

He teaches at Tehran’s top Honar (Art) University and he is currently in the UK to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival and other engagements.

On Thursday 10th August he joined a discussion panel at The House of Illustration  in conjunction with Tiny Owl Publishers.

The panel was made up of James Mayhew, Erica Jarnes, Beverley Naidoo, Azita Rassi and Delaram Ghanimifard.

Discussion was fascinating and there was a strong focus on the initial refusal to entry and visa for Ehsan, a ban! After considerable pressure and public energy from many people, including The Bookseller and The Guardian, this was overturned and Ehsan was allowed entry into the UK.

But what does it mean to be ‘banned’? And who is affected by the ban? The panel felt that a ban meant that not only the person was banned from the country but also the children and recipients of the books were also banned from listening to Ehsan and his work, creating an apartheid situation.

Banning affects us all as we are not allowed to hear or take part. In effect it stops dialogue.  A dialogue, in this case where children can share an understanding of cultural differences, through books.  Where they experience a greater  understanding of a global world, sharing lives and concerns, knowing similarities and differences and valuing both.Ehsans colouring materials

Ehsan had also run some workshops for children, creating passports of peace and hope and, ‘using a poem as a springboard to explore how you might change the world and what colours you would use.’ Tiny Owl.

His books are amazing, the illustrations depict life in colour and style, they have a beautiful expressive feel about the images and tell the stories, often with no need for words.

When I Coloured the World‘ and ‘A Bottle of Happiness‘ are both wonderful books to have and to share. They tell more than the story written in the words, they are moral stories and full of meaning.A Bottle of Happiness

As picture books they have a place in libraries for children of all ages and adults too. By sharing the books with parents and teachers, there is much to discover in words, pictures and meaning.

 

 

At Books Go Walkabout, we are keen explorers of books in different places, reaching out across the world, using books and stories in a global dimension.

We are delighted to share Ehsan’s work and that of Tiny Owl Publishers with the world. We do this directly when travelling to the other side of the globe and through our blog which is read across Australia, South East Asia and in Europe.

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout

 

 

 

Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.

Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.

We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.

A Bottle of Happiness by Pippa Goodhart and Ehsan Abdollahi

A Bottle of Happiness - cover image and web link
Buy this book from BgW here…

On one side of a big mountain the people were rich and worked hard to become richer, but they were not happy.

On the other side of the mountain,  people were not rich but shared things, including stories and they were happy. A small boy climbs the mountain to find the other side is full of wealth.

He returns one day with a bottle and brings the riches of happiness into that community. The moral is, share with others and you will have riches in abundance.

A story about people and getting on with each other, a fable with meaning and a positive ending.

Created and published by Tiny Owl, who are a very exciting new, independent publishing company, established in 2015. They believe in having stories which act as bridges. They have a number of books from Iranian authors.

They have a programme of intercultural projects where authors and illustrators from different countries work together in creation of a children’s book.

A Bottle of Happiness is written by Pippa Goodhart and illustrator is Ehsan Abdollahi. The text and illustration matches the idea behind the story.

Pippa has also written over a hundred books, including Winnie the Witch. Ehsan works as an illustrator of children’s books and newspapers as well as teaching at university in Iran, He recently was initially refused entry to the UK, when booked to deliver an event at Edinburgh Festival 2017. After much support and pressure Ehsan was granted a visa into the UK. Hooray!!

This is a beautiful book and a heart-warming story. Recommended for homes, sharing, libraries and schools.

Sue Martin

Books go Walkabout, stories across the world

 

Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.

Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.

We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.

Tiny Owl

The Elephants Umbrella cover image and web link
View, review or buy this book here…

Tiny Owl is an independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children.

They were established in 2015, and believe in global children’s books and about building bridges across our world. Two  of their latest books are  The Elephant’s Umbrella and Alive Again, are both full of vibrant illustrations and intriguing text.

The Elephant’s Umbrella is a tale of generosity, and full of opportunities for conversation and reasons to smile. The elephant has an umbrella and his friends join him where it is cosy and dry. One day the umbrella blows away and the other jungle animals try to use it themselves, but don’t feel like sharing!

” If I become yours, where will you take me when it rains?” asks the umbrella to the bear. But the bear only wants the umbrella to help him get the honey!

Laleh Jaffari is the author, born in Iran she has written over 25 children’s bookss and is also a TV director.

Ali Khodal has illustrated over 80 books and won national awards in his home country of Iran.

Alive Again - cover image and web link
View, review or buy this book here…

Alive Again explores what it means to be alive and how words can express the meaning of ‘alive’, but yet they don’t hold the quality of being alive only. This book has lots of hidden depths and the illustrations will help teacher, parents and children to think and puzzle and wonder.

Ahmadreza Ahmadi is the author and is an Iranan poet and children’s story writer. In 2010 he was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Anderson Award. Nahid Kazemi is the illustrator.

Books Go Walkabout enjoys Tiny Owl books and shares values in vision of creating bridges through children’s books across the world.

Sue Martin

 

 

Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.

Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.

We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.