Tuesday 21 May 2019
"The Phoenix of Persia" by Sally Pomme Clayton and Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif (Tiny Owl Books)
World stories are something we're keenly interested in, and publishers Tiny Owl have been leading the charge in bringing many amazing stories from across the globe to western eyes with their beautifully presented and brilliantly translated books.
Such as the divine "The Phoenix of Persia" adapted and translated by Sally Pomme Clayton with sumptuous illustrations from Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif.
The story opens in a bustling market in Iran, as a traditional storyteller regales her audience with the tale of Prince Zal and the Simorgh, a legendary bird steeped in mystical magic and myth.
High up on the Mountain of Gems lives the Simorgh, a wise phoenix whose flapping wings disperse the seeds of life across the world.
When King Sam commands that his long-awaited newborn son Zal be abandoned because of his white hair, the Simorgh adopts the baby and raises him alongside her own chicks and teaches him everything she knows.
But when the king comes to regret his actions, Prince Zal will learn that the most important lesson of all is forgiveness.
This luxurious edition of the story has been set to music which you can download, with amazing musicians using traditional instruments to really bring Sally's narration and adaptation to life.
An absolute must-read!
Sum this book up in a sentence: A thoroughly absorbing and truly beautiful tale brought to life with stunning presentation and a lyrical translation from Sally.
"The Phoenix of Persia" by Sally Pomme Clayton and Amin Hassanzadeh is out now, published by Tiny Owl Publishing (very kindly supplied for review).
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