Gr 3–5—Adapted from a long-ago Sufi commentary, this romantic story represents the Persian epic known as the Shanameh, or "Book of Kings." Here a grandfather is the narrator, telling the story of Bijan and Manijeh, the son and daughter of enemy kings, to a small girl and boy. Bijan is first sent to aid far-off farmers whose farms are being destroyed by wild boars. His mission quickly accomplished, he is immediately distracted by beautiful princess Manijeh. Their secret romance is soon discovered, and Bijan is imprisoned in an underground pit sealed with "a magic rock that no one could lift." Banished from the palace, Manijeh searches for him and eventually finds the pit but cannot move the rock. Though the text is wooden as read-aloud fare, the sketchy telling seems to fit the voice of a grandfather. The young children, who are flatly drawn, listeners suggest a far younger audience than would likely follow the story. Prayer, along with considerable coincidence, eventually leads the king's brave knight Rostam to reunite the lovers. The book is reminiscent of old elegant manuscripts with deep-hued colors, generous use of white space and folk motifs, and calligraphic-style letters used for the first word on each page and for all names of characters. Humans and animals are simple and stiff, but smaller circular views swirling on many pages contrast nicely with full-page scenes. The author closes with a page of somewhat confusing interpretation of the story as a possible religious parable. The simplistic telling of the story, though clumsy at times, might interest folktale readers and some storytellers.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
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