TEHRAN – Chinese translations of a collection of ten children’s books by contemporary Iranian writers were unveiled during a session in Tehran on Wednesday.

The unveiling session was organized as a prelude to the Iran Book Week, which will open on November 15. The books have been rendered into Chinese based on the Translation and Publication Grant Program of Iran.

“My Moon, Our Moon”, “I’m Scared”, “There Was the Moon and a Fox” and “My Kind Sara”, all written by Anihita Teimurian, and “The Bird, the Little Boy and the Train” by Ahmadreza Ahmadi are among the books.

The five books were originally published by Iran’s Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA).

“There Was the Moon and a Fox” is a highlight of the books, based on which an animation of the same title was made by Babak Nazari. 

It tells the story of a fox who loves the moon and climbs a mountain so that he can entertain the moonlight.

He makes the moon feel at home by cooking delicious food for her. Sometimes, the fox sings beautiful songs for the moon to make her stay longer, but problems arise because the moon waxes gradually to the extent that she can no longer come to the fox’s den.

“What Should I Wear?” by Payam Ebrahimi was another book in the collection. It is about Sara, a little girl who must decide what attire to put on for the New Year celebration to represent her future occupation. She thinks of being a dressmaker, astronomer, firewoman and even a pirate who has maps of every treasure. What should she wear?

The collection also includes “The Black Crow Goes On a Trip” by Babak Saberi and “Mr. Frog” by Mostafa Khoraman.

“The Black Crow Goes On a Trip” takes children to the world of a black crow that is preparing to embark on a journey. 

What should you take with you when you go on a trip? A suitcase full of clothes? Or canned food? How about a pair of sunglasses? Or maybe a pair of sneakers? Now, what do you think a crow would take with him? A backpack? Warm clothes? A flashlight? Definitely not.

If you want to know what crows need while traveling, come along and accompany our black crow.

“Mr. Frog” is about a frog that has a magic stick and can make any wish come true. Some animals wish to be big and strong, while others wish to be small, so they can creep inside any hole. First, ladybird wishes to be a hundred times bigger. Then the turtle wants to be smaller. And some animals want to stay the way they are. Now it is Mr. Frog’s turn to fulfill his wishes. Three, two, and one…! There you are!

The three books have been published by Tuti Books, a major publisher of children’s books in Tehran.

“100 Pieces of Ruby”, Mostafa Rahmandoost’s collection of poems on pomegranates, was also among the books. 

The collection also features “The Jackal Who Thought He Was a Peacock” by Fereshteh Sarlak.

The story, also known as “Mr. Jackal Stole My Paints”, is based on a story by the Persian poet Rumi. It is about a jackal that is depressed by the impossibility of fulfilling his wish to be as attractive and brightly colored as a peacock. In order to make his dream come true after all, he steals the most beautiful colors from a dyer and applies these to his coat.

Iran’s Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs, Yaser Ahmadvand, Chinese cultural attaché Zhozy Haw and a group of Iranian writers and publishers attended the meeting organized at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Photo: This combination photo shows some of the books by Iranian children’s writers published in Chinese.
  
MMS/YAW