Amu Nowruz and His Violets
$19.95
Illustrated by Nooshin Safakhoo
Translated from the Persian by Sara Khalili
In the land of Winter, queenly Naneh Sarma coats the mountains and valleys in ice and snow and when she is tired she rests in her spiky snow castle. But with no one to talk to, Naneh Sarma gets lonely. In this gentle story based on a household Iranian folktale, Naneh Sarma journeys to the far off land of Spring to seek Amu Nowruz, Spring’s herald, who sows the meadows with the seeds and flowers that fill his enormous knapsack. At the border between Winter and Spring, Naneh Sarma waits patiently for Amu Nowruz but by the time he arrives, she has fallen fast asleep. Gently, in her outstretched hands, Amu Nowruz plants violets.
In the winter scenes, wide expanses of white snow and craggy mountains rise against backdrops of pale pink, blue, and gray while in the land of Spring, a profusion of green leaves and intricate flowers climb across the pages. Illustrated with Nooshin Safakhoo’s precisely inked lines and enchanting colors, this tale of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, rejoices in each pale wintersweet flower, icy gust of snow, and fresh tulip blossom alike.
Coming on October 15, 2024
Praise
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Delicate details and joyful colors vivify this Persian folktale. From a castle made of snow atop the highest mountain, Naneh Sarma spreads winter across the land; her icy isolation grows lonely. From beyond the edge of winter, she hears Amu Nowruz, the herald of spring, singing; she sets out to meet him at the boundary. She falls asleep before he arrives, however, and he plants violets in her sleeping hands; the two forever meet only “at the dusk of winter and the dawn of spring."
— Danielle Ballantyne, Foreword Reviews, starred -
I was in love with Nooshin Safakhoo’s drawings from the first time I saw them. Every line she draws is hers and no one else’s.
— Marit Törnqvist -
Repeated poetic refrains and imaginative illustrations combine to create a compelling tale from the rich storytelling tradition of Iran.
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Author Hadi Mohammadi has penned a lovely version of an ancient folk tale … The story is a delight. But Nooshin Safakhoo’s quirky, ethereal illustrations were what really made this picture book for me.
— Ivonne Rovira, Wilder Elementary School, Louisville, KY -
This will be such a wonderful book to add to our collection of 'winter into spring' books. The illustrations are so lovely and the way Safakhoo used the background color of each page as the color of the deer is genius.
— Beth Pierson, White Lake Community Library, MI -
When you pick up this book, you are holding something precious in your hands—a velvety, folkloric tale of seven horses and the young disabled girl who dreams of them from her bedroom. Of the seven sweet, beautiful horses, one is without a color, a home, a dream. But the other six horses share with the seventh, and everything is lovely, and the little girl is happy. Nooshin Safakhoo's breathtaking illustrations left me sighing in awe and contentment. A dream of a book!
— Mary Wahlmeier Bracciano, The Raven Book Store (praise for In the Meadow of Fantasies) -
In this translated retelling of a Persian folk tale, the spirits of winter and spring briefly meet. Naneh Sarma lives in the land of Winter. With “hair as white as snow” and a “gown woven of wintersweet flowers,” she “[spreads] winter everywhere” as she swings over the snowy clouds. Safakhoo relies on a minimal palette for these barren landscapes, Naneh Sarma’s red socks and scarf standing out against the stark white backgrounds. But winter ends, and Naneh Sarma is alone. The pages explode in vibrant greens and reds as readers meet Amu Nowruz, who lives in the lush land of Spring. Amu Nowruz plants all day long, “while serenading the sun to shine bright.” Lonely Naneh Sarma hears him and wishes he would visit her. Waiting for him “at the edge of winter and spring,” she eventually falls asleep. When Amu Nowruz finds her, he puts violets into her hands and sneaks away. She wakes and shouts to him, only to hear him reply, “Tend to the violets…The New Year is coming!” These events happen each year, readers are told, “at the dusk of winter and the dawn of spring.”
Detailing the origins of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, this is a lovely, vividly illustrated tale. Though the elegant figurative language may be too lofty for younger children, older ones will appreciate it, especially if knowledgeable adults can offer context about Nowruz. Artistic and wistful, this is a sophisticated ode to the changing seasons.
— Kirkus Reviews -
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