Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar
Mojdeh Hassani author Samira Iravani author Maya Fidawi illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Penguin Putnam Inc
Published:22nd Feb '23
Should be back in stock very soon
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.
NPR Best Books of the Year Selection
★ "Mother-daughter writing team Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani explain in their authors’ note that they based this cozy, whimsical outing on Hassani’s childhood in Tehran in the 1960s and ’70 . . . they evoke the familiar warmth of a child’s relationship with a beloved grandparent." —BCCB, starred review
"The mother-daughter team of authors based the story on their own experiences with a grandmother’s chador as a safe place to shelter. Hassani also pulled from her memories of the 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 . . . richly hued, often comedically exaggerated illustrations . . . A sweet and gentle story about an oft-misunderstood garment." —Kirkus
"Each of the pair’s rhymed exchanges convey a sweet bond as detailed by Hassani and Iravani, who describe Tehran as a magical city and the chador . . . Fidawi’s collage-like digital illustrations overlay realistic city scenes with playful images of Mama Shamsi’s imaginings, sweetly blending the realistic with the fantastical." —Publishers Weekly
ISBN: 9780593110614
Dimensions: 235mm x 287mm x 10mm
Weight: 454g
40 pages