Mina Javaherbin

The illustrations in this story do the work of showing the love between little Mina and her Iranian grandma who lives with her. The soft pastels draw you in to the cozy kitchen and the cozy bedroom to depict the time they spend together. The story is a tribute to grandparents everywhere and the special relationship between grandchildren and grandparents.

The author creates a tale about understanding the truth from an anecdote originally written by the Persian poet Rumi. Author’s Note.

This book shares a touching story about the love between a young girl and her grandmother. It would be great to introduce my students to a different culture and see how they can relate to it. The universal love that we share for our families is a great way to make a connection.

Elephant in the Dark is a retelling of a Rumi poem about villagers trying to figure out what a mysterious creature kept in the dark is. The story is set in Persia (current day Iran), and the illustrations are lively and reflective of Persian culture. The illustrations are a huge part of the success of the book. The expressions on faces of the characters bring the story to life. The text is simple but effective. The style of writing is familiar and evocative of the storytelling tradition.