An inclusive bilingual story of overcoming obstacles & celebrating achievements while embracing the Persian language & culture.
Written by Toronto Author Tanya Bay
The Story
We want our children to experience a vast range of cultures and unique experiences. Over time, Perso-Arabic scripts have faded into the background, but Golden Chick (Joojé Talãee) invites children on a journey of uncovering the lost magic of Persian culture.
Through the eyes of a chick who wants to spread their wings, children experience overcoming obstacles and celebrating achievements. Golden Chick (Joojé Talãee) teaches children the universal power of finding your inner strength and developing your own personal warrior.
The phonetic rhyming poetry offers children a taste of the ancient, mythical Persian language without the obstacle of a challenging and unfamiliar script.
The Story Behind the Story
As someone who struggled to speak Persian, I never experienced the desire to pass on my culture until I had kids. As an immigrant to Canada, I longed to fit in and assimilate. I never wanted to stand out, but I quickly realized the value of providing my children a rich culture to connect to.
By presenting a Latin transcript of the original story, the book is accessible and inclusive to all families who desire to read Persian. By removing the obvious barrier of the Perso-Arabic script, I am so excited that I can not only read Persian to both my kiddos, but that even my 4 year old daughter Zoë can now read Persian as well.
Why this Book Matters
Poetic stories engage readers and entice them to look deeper by offering parents and teachers the opportunity to discuss meaningful lessons. Quality books with strong messages of inclusivity and empowerment are instrumental in supporting our children.
Currently there is a push in schools to teach social-emotional learning- and skills such as resilience, mental strength, and self-motivation can be transformative for all of us.