The Whale in the Watermelon

About the Book

This is a lyrical charming picture book with beautiful miniature paintings. The story starts with two sisters migrating to a new land and longing for the old and familiar. But soon the events take over and they find themselves in an incredible adventure -- locked in a watermelon with a dangerous whale lurking.

The paintings are extraordinary and show the old style of preparing books, where text and painting mix for an overall effect. Each page includes a detailed miniature. As the story proceeds and night falls, the sky changes color. As the protagonists come to accept the change in their lives, the paintings change from old world animals to modern buildings and symbols. Truly a book you will enjoy to read to your child as well as to look at.

Here, in a peaceful world, children search for their identity and deal with issues of change and adaptation. The book provides a story of love and discovery. All along it does so in the midst of picturesque and memorable paintings.

You can read this book at many levels. For the literary adults, references are made to Edgar Allen Poe, T.S. Elliot, and Iranian poet Hafiz. For the visually sophisticated, you will recognize pieces of 15th and 16th century miniature paintings. But above all, the children will be charmed into a world of make believe and fun.

The story is presented in both Farsi and English. You can download an earlier version, where my six years old daughter narrates the story. You will need Flash to be able to listen and see this version of the book.

About the Author