TEHRAN – An English translation of the Iranian story “In the Meadow of Fantasies” has been selected as one of the five Batchelder Honor Books.

The books are chosen on the sidelines of the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

“Repeated poetic refrains and imaginative illustrations combine to create a compelling tale from the rich storytelling tradition of Iran,” said Batchelder Award Committee Chair Marie A. LeJeune.

Originally published in Persian in 2017 as “Haft Asb Haft Rang” (“Seven Horses, Seven Colors”), “In the Meadow of Fantasies” was written by Hadi Mohammadi, illustrated by Nushin Safakhu and translated by Sara Khalili. 

In this imaginative adventure, a girl and seven horses embark on a fantastical journey. This is a lyrical parable that invites multiple readings and interpretations as the horses gather to share their visions and dreams. The poetic language and stunning illustrations effortlessly coalesce into themes of wonder and delightful discovery.

The book was earlier selected by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) for its 2021 Collection for Young People with Disabilities.

The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originating in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.

The 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award was given to “Temple Alley Summer”, the ALSC announced last Monday.

Originally published in Japanese in 2011 as “Kimyoji Yokocho no Natsu,” the book was written by Sachiko Kashiwaba with illustrations by Miho Satake and translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa. 

The book tells the story of Kazu, who days before the beginning of summer vacation discovers a ghostly figure in a white kimono slipping out of his home. Kazu is driven to discover the secret of the sudden appearance of a new classmate who looks remarkably like this ghostly entity.  

“Strong characterization, rich cultural details, and a clever nested story within a story format make this book a compelling and suspenseful read,” said LeJeune.

The other works selected as the Batchelder Honor Books were Norwegian writer Brynjulf Jung Tjonn’s story “The Most Beautiful Story” (“Den Finaste Historia”), Japanese author Yuki Ainoya’s “Sato the Rabbit” (“Usagi No Sato-Kun”), Spanish writer María García Esperón’s “The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas” (“Diccionario de mitos de América”), and Danish writer Betina Birkjær’s “Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost” (“Kaffe Kanin Vintergœk Vœk”).

Photo: A combination photo shows a boy reading an English translation of Iranian writer Hadi Mohammadi’s “In the Meadow of Fantasies” and the front cover of the Persian edition of the book.

MMS/YAW