The 13th edition of the Tehran-Flying Turtle Awards took place on Tuesday evening, and the ju judges did not announce the winners of the Golden Award.
The Book City Institute and The Children’s Literature Studies Repionical are organizers of the Flying Turtle Awards, which are published annually in Iran’s Top Children’s Book.
The ju umpire awarded silver awards to three books by Mehdi Rajabi, including “Son of the Sea” and was recognized for artistic storytelling highlighting the subtleties of Iranian life and social issues. Hale Golbani, the book’s illustrator, was also given an honorable mention.
The book tells the imaginative journey of a young boy named Samir, who aims to write a story about his own life. Residing in a village affected by a devastating flood, Samir and his family choose to stay behind while the rest of the villagers leave. To cope with his loneliness and fear, he makes an imaginary friend, a large miniature animal that will become his closest companion.
As he navigates his real-life challenges, Samir imagines himself as the captain of the sea and embarks on an epic adventure aboard a ship alongside a gang of his whimsical friends. Despite the presence of dark clouds, floods and thunder that instill fear in him, Samir remains immovable in his dreams and resilience.
Zohreh Pararokh was given another silver award for her influential story of intertwining local art in a children’s language in “Dotok: The Little Baluch Doll.” Honorable mentions were also given to researchers Afsane Esani and Sepide Shabaji for their contributions to this title.
The story of “Dotok: Little Baluch Doll” revolves around a charming little doll called Dotok, who lives in the village of Baluchestan. Throughout the story, Dotok encounters a variety of adventures and faces challenges and obstacles, encouraging her to resolve and actively seek solutions. This story teaches valuable lessons about friendship, empathy, and the importance of striving to achieve our goals, and encourages children to think deeply about these topics.
The third silver award, recognising his creative involvement with Iranian mythology, went to Marjan Fouladvand, author of the “The Seven Eternals” series.
The series consists of three books, set in an apocalyptic world where Ash falls from the sky and comes out of the ground, showing her imminent destiny. The universe’s mirror is dark, time is halting, and destruction is upon us. Jamushid recognizes curse and decline as a work of a man who adorns evil spirits and snakes, and he recognizes his people as blame for his light-like form. What do you have to do to save them?
Deciding to break the curse, Jamshid embarks on a dangerous journey through seven labors. But his struggle alone is not enough. People must also discover and confront their seven labors.
The book depicts the land where people are trapped between the sunless wreckage of snakes and Jamshid. Jamushid, who is working on past hub arrogance, reflects how their situation has gotten worse. Ultimately, his doubts force him to take his final step in hopes of red. This is a step that will lead him into the realm of the dead.
Photo: This combination of photos shows the cover of the winning book in the 13th edition of the Flying Turtle Awards.
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