The Phoenix of Persia (One Story, Many Voices)

by Sally Pomme Clayton (Author) Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif (Illustrator)

The Phoenix of Persia (One Story, Many Voices)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Retold for a modern audience, the story of The Phoenix of Persia is one of the ancient epic stories of Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) by the 10th century poet Ferdowsi, reminiscent of the classic fairytale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

In this ancient Persian, a king awaits the birth of his son but when the child is born with white hair and skin, he is banished to the forest. The young babe is brought up by the phoenix Simorgh until his father realizes the love he has lost and seeks his return. A QR code is included to download Iranian music to accompany the text.

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Kirkus

A magical book takes readers to another world.

Publishers Weekly

In ancient Persia, a longed-for prince is abandoned because his hair is white. Rescued and raised by the Simorgh, the phoenix that created the world, he grows in knowledge and wisdom until the king repents and seeks his son. The Simorgh says to the king, whose own hair has turned white, "White hair brings wisdom"; to the prince: "Being human is being able to forgive." Clayton adroitly relates this tale from a traditional Iranian epic, setting it in a framework of children listening to a storyteller. Shades of cerulean, rust, and emerald recur in Sharif's jewel-hued illustrations; fine lines scratch and shape the details of feathers and kings. A QR code takes readers to SoundCloud for a narrated version of the tale accompanied by a variety of traditional Iranian instruments, each one associated with a particular character or place, helpfully explained at the book's close. These digital assets elevate an enriching read. Ages 5-7. (Mar.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5--Music joins storytelling in this multimedia presentation of a classical tale from Iran. The book begins with an explanation of the Persian epic The Shanameh ("The Book of Kings"), discussing its poetic origins and the "ancient tradition of storytelling and poetry where musicians play instruments to bring stories to life." There's a brief synopsis of the tale told here, and readers are instructed to use a printed QR code to hear the story told along with Iranian instrumental music. The story starts with modern-day children racing into a park to hear the musicians and storyteller. They are told it will be a story in four parts, beginning in an ancient time "far from humans and near the sun" on a sparkling "mountain made of jewels" where there's a giant tree holding the giant nest of a huge bird, the Simorgh, that is both magical and wise. "She was the size of thirty birds and shone like a hundred suns." Meanwhile, down in ancient Persia, a king and his wife finally have a long-desired baby son. Shades of rust and blue predominate the book's illustrations. The fiery figure of the Simorgh bears an odd, seemingly cloth banner atop her head. Human figures are crude and clumsy, many appearing to be prehistoric or even sepulchral. Teacher resources are also offered online. VERDICT The multifaceted production and the familiar themes of magical times and a human child raised by a heroic figure offer many possibilities for use and enjoyment.--Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Sally Pomme Clayton
Sally Pomme Clayton is a pioneering storyteller and writer, who has published more than 10 children's books. As author of The Phoenix of Persia, she has a long connection with the Iranian epic Shahnameh, haven written resource material about Shahnameh and storytelling in Iran for The British Library. She wrote the text 'Prince Zal and the Simorgh' based on Shahnameh for composer David Bruce and The London Philharmonic Orchestra (2012), which she performed with the orchestra at The Royal Festival Hall as well as delivering workshops for schools. Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif was born in Tehran in 1979 and is an award-winning illustrator whose work has been published worldwide. Amin will illustrate The Phoenix of Persia using his distinctive 'sgraffito' technique (from the Italian word sgraffire which means "to scratch"). His workshops with children explore this technique which involves scratching through a layer of still-wet paint to reveal what's underneath. His work is influenced by centuries of artistic representations of Ferdowsi's epic Shahnameh, from exquisitely detailed Persian miniatures to contemporary illustrations. He currently resides in California.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781910328439
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Tiny Owl Publishing
Publication date
March 18, 2020
Series
One Story, Many Voices
BISAC categories
JUV007000 - Juvenile Fiction | Classics
JUV012020 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Country & Ethnic - General
JUV012060 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, Fables | Asian
Library of Congress categories
Tales
Children's stories
Iran
Phoenix (Mythical bird)
Firdawsai

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