The Little Black Fish

In this classic story from Iran, the Little Black Fish dares to defy his mother and their community and swim away from the small section of the stream which circumscribes their lives on a quest to discover ‘if the stream goes on and on, or whether it comes to an end.’ Throughout his journey he meets other creatures who believe that there is nowhere else beyond their own confined environment and that their ways of living and thinking are the only way to be.

This picture book can be read as a political allegory and will stimulate discussion. The illustrations by Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Farshid Mesghali make striking use of block printing for the fish and other creatures, including a devious pelican, and are set against mixed media backgrounds.