The Little Black Fish
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/91/Award-winning_illustration_on_original_cover_of_The_Little_Black_Fish.png)
The Little Black Fish (Azerbaijani: Balaca qara balıq, Persian: ماهی سیاه کوچولو, Mâhī-ye Sīyāh-e Kūchūlū) is a well known Persian language children's book written by Samad Behrangi. The book was widely considered to be a political allegory, and was banned in pre-revolutionary Iran (prior to the 1979 revolution).[1] Other than its notable story, the original illustrations of the book by Farshid Mesghali received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1974 for his "lasting contributions" as a children's illustrator.[2] Various translations of the book have been published in multiple countries. The most recent translation of the book in English was published in 2015 with its original illustrations.[3]
Plot[]
The story is told through the voice of an old fish speaking to her 12,000 children and grandchildren. She describes the journey of a small black fish who leaves the safety of the local stream to venture into the world.
The path of the little fish leads down a waterfall and along the length of the river to the sea. Along the way, the fish meets several interesting characters, including a helpful lizard and the dreaded pelican.
With both wisdom and courage, the fish travels far and the tale eventually ends with the Little Black Fish setting a lasting example for others.
Translations[]
- The Little Black Fish. Classics of Persian Literature. 2. Translated by Amuzegar, Hooshang. Illustrated by Allison Remick. Ibex Publishers. 1997. ISBN 9780936347783. OCLC 35808282.
- The Little Black Fish. Art and design by Bizhan Khodabandeh. 2011. ISBN 9780615666075. OCLC 855482613.
- The Little Black Fish. Translated by Rassi, Azita. Illustrated by Farshid Mesghali. Tiny Owl Publishing. 2015. ISBN 9781910328002. OCLC 902745489.
- anguage=Croatian. Znanje Publishing. Missing or empty
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(help)[4] - Mahîe Sîe Büçkełanege (in Kirmaşanî Kurdish). Translated by Muhamadreza Bahadur. 2015.[5][2]
Reviews[]
- In April 2015, the new translation of The Little Black Fish by with its award-winning original illustrations got first in David Cadji Newby's top 10 children's books list for The Guardian.[6]
Awards[]
- Hans Christian Andersen award for illustrations by Farshid Mesghali (1974)
- First Graphic Prize, Sixth International Children Books’ Fair in Bologna for illustrations by Farshid Mesghali (1968)
- Honorary Diploma, Bratislava Biannual, Czechoslovakia, for illustrations by Farshid Mesghali (1968)
References[]
- ^ "The Little Black Fish That Created Big Waves", Negar Esfandiary, BBC Radio 4, 25 August 2011
- ^ "HCAA Winners 1956-2014". Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Crna ribica". Znanje d.o.o. Archived from the original on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
- ^ Bahadur, Muhamadreza (2015). Mahîe Sîe Büçkełanege.
- ^ "David Cadji Newby's top 10 quests in children's books", David Cadji-Newby 2 April 2015
- Azerbaijani books
- Children's fiction books
- 1968 children's books
- Animal tales
- Picture books
- Iranian children's literature
- Children's book stubs