Author of Illustrated Shahnameh Books for Children: The First Page of the New Book is in Memory of Kian Pirfalak

Arsia Rozegar, an Iranian-American author and designer, has published another illustrated book based on the stories of the Shahnameh in English for children. This work, titled 'Ancient Tales of Great Iran,' is the fourth book in the illustrated series 'Shahnameh for Children.' The previous three books, 'Gordafarid the Brave,' 'Zal and Simurgh,' and 'Rostam the Hero,' have received a favorable response from enthusiasts, especially Iranian-American children. Arsia Rozegar was born in Tehran but immigrated to the United States with his family at a young age and currently resides in Virginia. He told Voice of America, 'Years ago, I started this project out of love for Iranian culture and art. I grew up in America, and such storybooks for children did not exist in the past.' Arsia Rozegar is a graphic designer and has collaborated with Marvel, the creator of comic stories such as 'Iron Man' and 'The Incredible Hulk.' This Iranian-American author and designer decided to use his knowledge and experiences in this field to publish an illustrated series based on the stories of the Shahnameh for children, which contains positive and constructive messages about Iranian myths and heroes. Regarding the new book 'Ancient Tales of Great Iran,' Rozegar says, 'This work includes several different stories, starting from the beginning of the Shahnameh, where I narrate the story of Kayumars, the first king of Iran. I then cover the stories of the demons, Hoshang, Tahmuras the Demon Binder, Jamshid, the first Nowruz of Iran, Zahhak, and the first revolution in Iran led by Kaveh the Blacksmith.' According to Mr. Rozegar, the design of this book was completed before the nationwide protests in Iran, but recent events have profoundly affected him, and on the first page of the book, he honors Kian Pirfalak and other young people who lost their lives by mentioning the 'God of the Rainbow.' Arsia Rozegar has supported the Iranian freedom movement in recent months by participating in protest gatherings in Washington and sharing various posts on his social media accounts. Recently, inspired by one of Roger Waters' works, he sang a song titled 'Iranian Roses' to support the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and created a music video for it that was shared online. Arsia Rozegar hopes to continue the project of Shahnameh books for children with the support of lovers of Iranian culture and art. According to him, these books are not only for those with Iranian roots but are also appealing to non-Iranian audiences, allowing Iranian myths and legends to be introduced to the world.