Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar
By (Author) Mojdeh Hassani
By (author) Samira Iravani
Illustrated by Maya Fidawi
Penguin Putnam Inc
Dial Books for Young Readers,US
11th April 2023
22nd February 2023
United States
Children
Non Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction
Childrens picture books
813.6
Hardback
40
Width 287mm, Height 235mm, Spine 9mm
459g
It's market day for Samira and her grandma! The bazaar is crowded, but this sweet pair knows how to stick together in this silly picture book set in Iran. Mama Shamsi is off to the market, and today, Samira gets to go with her! Samira loves spending time with her grandmother, and she especially loves her chador, which Mama Shamsi wraps around herself every time they leave the house. As the pair get closer and closer to the market, Samira is worried about getting lost in the crowded streets of Tehran, until she has an idea- She can hide under her grandmother's chador. But when Mama Shamsi says no-if Samira hides under there, the pair of them will look like a strange animal! In imaginary spreads, Samira and Mama Shamsi turn into a donkey, a giraffe, a kangaroo, a turtle-hiding isn't working at all. But maybe there's some other way for Samira to stay safe with her grandma in the crowded market.
"Mother-daughter writing team Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani explain intheir authors note that they based this cozy, whimsical outing on Hassanis childhood in Tehran in the1960s and 70 . . .they evoke the familiar warmthof a childs relationship with a beloved grandparent."BCCB, starred review
"The mother-daughterteam of authors based the story on their own experiences with a grandmothers chador as a safe place to shelter. Hassani also pulled from her memories ofthe bazaar she visited during her childhood in Tehran . . .An affectionate portrayal of a grandmother and grandchild that also showcases a cultural garment."School Library Journal
"The rhythmic, playful text beautifully captures the dual patter of an excited child and a bustling city . . . richlyhued, often comedically exaggerated illustrations. . .A sweet and gentle story about an oft-misunderstood garment."Kirkus
Maya Fidawi graduated from the Faculty of Art at the Lebanese University with specializations in painting and sculpting, and is one of the best loved children's illustrators in the Middle East. She has illustrated more than fifty children's books for publishers based in Lebanon, the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Italy, and has conducted workshops for professional illustrators throughout the Arab World and in Turkey, Italy, and Brazil. Her work has won national and international awards, and she is a two-time winner of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature, given at the Sharjah International Book Fair to the best children's books published in the Arabic language.