Author(s): Atoosa Salehi

Picture Books | New Arrivals

The epic poem "Shahnameh", or The Book of Kings, writetn by Ferdowsi (940 - ca. 1020) depicts the dynastic lineage of ancient Iran and tells the story of the common ancestors of all the inhabitants on Earth. "Zahhak", one of the first stories of the Shahnameh, tells of a good-natured man who falls into the devil's trap and becomes a tyrant. It is one of the rare myths in which the hero makes mistakes like ordinary people. At the same time, one can find ordinary people doing heroic deeds in these tales. A renown writer and poet Atousa Salehi retells the story of Zahhak in an understandable prose, from the point of view of different characters, including Zahhak the Devil and others. The illustrations by Nooshin Safakhou are a mixture of Persian miniature painting and contemporary illustration. She has illustrated many Shahnameh stories and was distinguished at the international festivals and art exhibitions.